The Reunion Paradox
by Silver Lined Spero
Summary: After saving River from the Library, the Eleventh Doctor winds up being chased by time-traveling Daleks. But how did that end up with Donna Noble finding a de-aged, memory-less Tenth Doctor in her backyard? With an upcoming Sontaran Invasion, it's up to the Doctor's companions to restore the Doctor and save the day! -On 2-week HIATUS, sorry, I have an important test coming up :(
1. The Childish Hour

**Chapter 1**

**The Childish Hour**

"Funny thing is, you've always know how I was going to die," River gasped, her heart aching with the lies. The _lies_. _"_All the time we were together, you knew I was going to come here. The last time I saw you, the real you, the future you, I mean…... you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit."

_And, oh, you are breaking my heart. Here in the library, you are handcuffed to the pole, looking so young, so sad, so desperate. Not understanding what's going to happen. _

_Oh, poor, poor Doctor. We are going to deceive you. The Future You and I. We will break your heart, for the sake of my life, and for the history. _

_I'm so sorry._

River's eyes tingled with tears as she recalled that night. "You took me to Darillium… to see the Singing Towers. Oh… what a night that was. The towers sang, and you cried."

Autodestruct in one minute, the voice said. River couldn't control her breathing. She was so scared, but her words kept flowing out like a jumble. "You wouldn't tell me why. But I suppose you knew it was time, my time. Time to come to the Library. You even gave me your Screwdriver. That should have been a clue." A teardrop slipped from the corner of her eye. "There is nothing you can do." _Not at the moment._

"You could let ME do this!" The Doctor yelled. River bit her lips and shook her head, crying.

"If you die here, it means I've never met you!"

"Time can be rewritten!"

"Not those times." Oh, don't look at me with those eyes. Please. "Not one line. Don't you dare."

This must be the end, he had told her, looking at the tower. The beginning and the end. The first and last. I must think that this is the end. Lie, River. Cry your eyes out. But do, not, die. Never.

"It's okay, it's okay. It's not over for you. You will see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and me, time and space… you watch us run."

"River…..." His body was shaking, but those eyes were firm with hopeless determination. "River, you knew my name. You whispered my name in my ear."

_10, 9, 8, 7…_

River Song closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and picked up the cord, ready to connect. The Doctor clenched his teeth, knowing what was going to come.

"Shhh, no. Spoilers," She whispered. And she smiled. 3, 2, 1. Connect.

A blinding rush of white light, and her body arched in shock; billions of electricity shot through her, connecting her mind to the system while destroying the body. The Doctor turned away instinctively, fighting the urge not to sob out loud. And when the brilliant flash subsided, he turned his gaze once more, looking at the place where River had been sitting. His heart broke. The spot was empty. River Song, Professor and Archaeologist, the mysterious woman from his future, the One who Knew his Name, was no more.

Except that she wasn't. 

DWDWDWDW

"Yes, that's basically the end of story," River nodded, holding her cup of tea with shaking hands. The fire was crackling in the hearth pleasantly; it was a cool autumn night, and the three Ponds were all gathered around the warmth. "The young Doctor, poor boy, left the Library, believing that I was dead. Four thousand and twenty two people were saved; the Library was locked down permanently. And the old Doctor came along, picked me up and gave me a ride on the TARDIS. He told me to wait here, and that he would come back sooner or later. Finite!"

"Oh, poor Doctor," Amy Pond shook her head, patting her daughter's shoulder. "But.….. how? I mean, how did you _not_ die? Not that I'm not relieved or anything, and I'm still mad at the Doctor for not telling me all about this, but—I don't understand."

"Rule One, the Doctor lies, even to himself," River laughed, her hand steadily calming down. She glanced at the Sonic Screwdriver he had given to her with a rather fond smile. "It was just Lake Silencio, mom. Just the other way around."

"What… Oh," Rory realized, understanding dawning upon him. He scowled like a grumpy Roman. "And he never told us? We could've known, at least."

"Tell you what? That my death was a fixed point in history, just like his had been, and he was going to send me off to a library full of flesh-eating shadows? And get beaten up with a cricket bat? Nope. But he still saved me, with his same old trick, dad. _Teselecta_, you know."

_River Song. You have to die at the Library. No, I have to see you die. Or else, the Universe would implode once more. Kaboom! We can't have that; it's too dangerous. We can't change it. Not one line._

_But we can cheat death. I did it once, and you will do it, too. Here. Get into the Teselecta. I can't tell you the specifics, it will mess up the timelines too much. Nope, can't risk it. Just remember this. Something horrible will happen at the Library. When the time comes, connect the cords to the Teselecta Memory Tank. That will do good. _

_Remember, River. This is the beginning and the end, the first and last moment. _I _must think that this is the end. Lie, River. Cry your eyes out. But do, not, die. Never. Keep yourself safe at all costs._

…_I'm sorry._

Her eyes tingled with tears at the memory, and Amy pulled her into a tight embrace. River leaned onto her mother's warmth wordlessly, letting herself wonder what the Doctor was getting himself into at the moment. She needed him to console her, to hug her tight, to tell her that it was okay. He said that he would take her out on a date, as soon as possible. He said that he would return in a minute.

But where was he now? 

DWDWDWDW

"Damn it!" The Eleventh Doctor cursed loudly, slamming his fist onto the console. The TARDIS beeped and swayed dangerously, hurtling through time and space in a mad rush. The Doctor was still begging and yelling at the same time.

"Come _on_, you can do this, Sexy, _please_! AARGH, _why_ WON'T THIS WORK!"

Okay, he had to admit that he was careless. He was so joyful that River didn't die after all; so sorry that he had to put her through the terrible nightmares of the Library, too. He meant to come right back, with a gift to lift her spirits and cheer her up. So he dropped her off at the Ponds', and hopped away to the twenty-seventh century Moon to buy her a cup of cocktail and a moonrock necklace.

He just didn't expect to crash land onto a Dalek Spaceship.

And he probably shouldn't have called them 'stupid pepper pots'.

Or 'deflated octopus in a can'.

…Okay, maybe it _was _his fault, yeah. But still—they_ did _wipe out his people, and he just couldn't approve of their so-called 'extermination campaign'. He just couldn't show mercy or control his temper when it came down to the Daleks. Huh. Crazy killing machines. He huffed angrily and pulled a few handles, causing the floor to topple over. He crashed onto the ceiling, then back onto the floor, as the TARDIS fixed itself. Ow. That hurt a bit.

"Anyway! I just didn't expect them to have a Vortex Manipulator. Oh, great, just great! So now I have a whole spaceship, so eager to exterminate me, chasing me down through the entire time and space. What an honor. What do you suggest, Old Girl?" He glanced and tapped at the control panel expectantly. When nothing happened, he hollered in an annoyed voice. "Emergency situation; give me a Voice Interface, for God's sake!"

Almost immediately, the Voice Interface zoomed out, automatically taking the shape himself—his previous self. Oh Good Lord. Was that… pinstripes and snickers? Where were the bowties? Bowties are cool. He groaned inwardly, but the hologram of his Tenth incarnation hardly paid any mind to that.

"_Allons-y! What is the problem? Do you want to completely erase the Dalek tracing?"_

"Of course I do, idiot," the Doctor muttered, grabbing hold of the console as the TARDIS gave another flip, narrowly dodging a Death Ray.

"_My name is not idiot. I am the Voice Interface."_

"Same thing—Okay_. Okay_. Leave that and tell me; what are the options?"

"_Searching…" _The interface hummed for a few seconds, and the Doctor made the TARDIS swerve to the left, successfully evading a Dalek assault once more. Yeah, as I said, great, the Eleventh Doctor thought sarcastically. And all this for a simple moon trip and a present for River.

"_Analyzing complete_." The Interface announced. His head snapped up.

"_At this rate, the TARDIS will be shot and you will be killed in twenty-seven minutes, maximum."_

"Brilliant. Helpful." The Doctor replied, with only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He gripped the lever and went on, grunting from the effort. "Well, I was supposed to go on a date with my wife tonight, and I would prefer the Not-dying option. Any alternatives, you say?"

The Interface replied after a pause. "_There are four_."

"Wonderful! Now, kindly tell me, please!" The Doctor cried in delight.

"_One, abandon the ship."_

"Oh. No, skip that one."

"_Two. Activate the Invisibility Circuit for the TARDIS and use the Chameleon Arch to convert yourself into a human, which will successfully send them off scent."_

"No, I don't have the watch anymore. Won't work!"

"_Three. Accelerate the TARDIS and go to the end of the universe."_

"Actually, there is a teeny-tiny little problem in that; I remember trapping billions of Toclafane there. I seriously doubt that they will welcome me with open arms." The Doctor winced, remembering. "For god's sake, don't you have a _decent_ solution?"

"_Four,"_ the Interface went on, unabashed.

"_Take the EETCR: Emergency Escape Time Crack Route."_

Huh. That sounded okay, compared to the other options, which were rather appalling, to say in the least.

"Okay, OKAY!" The Doctor hollered, pushing a button or two. "And what IS that supposed to mean?!"

"The TARDIS builds up maximum energy charge and breaks through a weak point in the Time Vortex. The Crack will connect the TARDIS to one of your recent companion's current location. And in case that specific person be unable to help you, the TARDIS will automatically send out SOS signals asking for help to all the other companions."

"Oh, yes. Now I remember." The Doctor's eyes hardened. "I've heard about it—it is quite an effective escape route when your life is in extreme danger. But there is also a side effect, they said. If the Huon Energy should be too much for the TARDIS to block out, which is highly likely, it might influence my timeline during the escape. Which also means that I might end up in _any_ age, any incarnation. My own memory can be fuddled timey-wimey!"

"_Affirmative,_" the hologram answered, unconcerned.

Eleven frowned, deep in thought. He tapped the console rather uneasily, trying to think something out. He came up with nothing. The Doctor sighed and turned to the hologram.

"How many minutes do we have?"

"_Twenty-five minutes, Doctor."_ The voice replied. Oh, he hated that voice. It was so emotionless and dry, even in this kind of dire situation, but still, it was his. Well, at least in the past.

"…We have no other choice then, do we?" Eleven squeezed his eyes shut, opened it again, and faked a cheerful smile. "What is the most probable destination, captain?"

"Donna Noble."

The Doctor froze for a second, then jumped up, his face contorted in dark fury.

"NO! You can't!" What was the TARDIS thinking? Of course it couldn't be her. If she saw the Crack opening… be exposed to the massive influx of Huon Energy….. The sheer power of the Time Vortex particles would bring the Metacrisis back. And with the Metacrisis back, she would burn down. Her brain would explode. Poor, poor Donna. He felt a stab of guilt, but barked nonetheless. "Change destination! Immediately!"

"It is not needed. The Huon Energy Influx—" The Voice Interface replied, and the sentence was cut off in the middle as the TARDIS crashed into the walls of the Time Vortex three times in a row. The Doctor stumbled, eyes wide, trying to interpret what he had just heard. 'It is not needed'? What was that supposed to mean?

Then he understood.

"OH! Oh, wonderful, _brilliant!_ I want to kiss you, but that means kissing myself, which will be stupid and kind of creepy at once. I'm not that egoistic. Huh. Whatever! Oh, this is plain fantastic, you clever boy!" He jumped up in joy and danced a little. "So some good comes out of this mess, huh?"

It was simple. He didn't have the power to fully eradicate the Metacrisis from Donna's mind; so his solution was to erase her memory. But with all this _enormous _Huon Energy Influx, he could connect Donna's mind to the heart of the TARDIS! Huon Energy, traveling from vessel to vessel! The Metacrisis—the ability to see all the timelines side by side—would be transmitted from Donna's mind to the TARDIS, as soon as it came back, and her brain wouldn't explode, _and _her memory would be back. That was fantastic. Absolutely _genius!_

"Okay, so destination set to good old Donna—"

"Eleven minutes left."

"Eleven, eleven, that's a good number. All right!" He grumbled, furiously scribbling calculations down on the paper. Okay, check. The plan would work; Donna will be fine. And she would be her brilliant old self in no time at all, too. But he had another thing to do.

"Activate video recording." He commanded. "Once we arrive, show all our conversation to my friends. We don't know what state I will be in, and they need to understand the situation. And if this is the last thing I will remember, I want to make my last words nice and proper. Understand?"

"Video recording activated." The Voice Interface answered, staring at his face. But for a moment, there seemed to be a hint of… sadness crossing the hologram's features. Huh, that was impossible. Eleven angrily wiped away his tears and forced a cheerful grin onto his features. He had so much to say, and there wasn't just enough time. But he would have to make the most of it.

"Hi!" He gave a toothy grin, waving at the camera. "This is the New Doctor speaking. New Doctor, new face! Some of you guys would have never seen this one, but whatever. I seem to be getting younger and younger every time I regenerate—huh, I'm rambling again. But the thing is, well, I don't know how many of you have answered to my call, but if you are there, Sarah Jane, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Wilfred Mott, Donna Noble, Amy, Rory… River…"

Oh, god, River. After all that, after both of them miraculously escaping death, it came down to this. His own stupidity. Sheer bad luck. And tonight… tonight was supposed to be their dating night. She would be waiting for him, along with Amelia Pond, the girl who waited. Good old Ponds. And here he was now, breaking his promise. Again.

He was going to act all carefree and joyful, but his sorrow was too great. Unable to manage his ever-present smile any longer, he looked up, his face full of sadness and regret. He pushed back his floppy hair, and—whispered hoarsely. Heavily. He said what he had meant to say all along, but couldn't up until now. The truth.

"I'm so sorry."

DWDWDWDW

River frowned. The Doctor was thirty minutes late; where (and when) _was _he? She whipped out her phone and started at it impatiently. The screen was blank.

"River, are you sure that he is not getting himself killed or something?" Rory said, his brows furrowed with concern.

"Yes, dad, of _course_! 'Cause if he gets himself killed, then I'm going to kill him, and for good this time. He'd better not…" Her voice trailed off, and Amy gently rubbed circles on her back. She was about to say soothing words when their phones all began to trill and vibrate loudly.

"What…?!" Rory said, confused, snatching out his phone. He stared at it, his eyes wide. Then he wordlessly held it out for his wife and daughter to see. They leaned in, squinting—

"Oh no," Amy breathed, stricken with horror. River's heart stuttered. On the screen, the black letters were blinking on and off.

'A message from the TARDIS: The Doctor is in danger. Currently heading the house of Donna Noble through EETCR. Help needed from Past and/or Present Companions. Come at once.'

And underneath it all, there was the Doctor's own handwriting, but the letters were clumsy, as if his hand was shaking. And that was what was wrong _the most_, for the Doctor would never say such things in normal circumstances.

"_I'm so, so sorry. Help me. Please."_

"Oh, Doctor," River breathed. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

And at that exact moment, back in the TARDIS-

"Thirty seconds left before being hit." The emotionless voice of the Interface brought the Doctor—who was staring blankly into the air, drained of his usual quirkiness—back to the reality. It took a moment for him to process the meaning; then he jumped right up and rushed to the control panel. He grabbed a big, yellow lever that said 'EETCR ACTIVATE' on it.

"Okay, I'm ready," he muttered to himself. Then he hollered. "Activate Emergency Escape Route immediately!"

"_Allons-y_!" the Voice Interface vanished, and the TARDIS engine roared to life, rocking left and right even harder. The Doctor inhaled deeply, securing his grip. The Escape Lever. Then he pulled.

"GEROMINO—!"

He shouted, and the TARDIS instantly shook violently. Then it exploded in a brilliant flash of white light. The Dalek spaceship was mercilessly shattered in the sudden outburst of energy; pieces of metal and remnants of the spaceship drifted aimlessly, lost in the stormy Time Vortex.

The Crack flashed one last time, and then, it closed.

And then there was silence.

DWDWDWDWDWDW 

**Yes! Hi, everyone. This is Silver Lined Spero speaking.**

**This is going to be about 50 Chapters long, with four parts. (Yes, I've written them all out already.) The Childish Hour, The Day of the Doctor's Daughter, Gallifrey Stands Wibbly, and The Good Man Goes Tour-ing. As you can see, this is going to be a mad mixture of Hurt, Comfort, Whump, Family, Adventure, Reunion, Doctor is so cool, and plenty of Crack and Humor, too, of course. (wink wink!)**

**This is a spoiler, but- the Doctor, while going through the Crack, is going to be exposed to a Huon Energy Storm. Which results in the Doctor being degenerated and de-aged. Now starring, Theta Sigma! And all, _all_ the Companions are on their way!**

**This is my first Doctor Who fic, so please R&R! Review makes this writer so happy! :)**


	2. Abrupt, Young, and Not Ginger

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! Well, I am trying to update this story at least twice a week, though :) And thank you for all the Reviews and Follows! Okay, now let's get on with it!  
**

**Chapter 2**

**Abrupt, Young and Not Ginger**

Wilfred Mott and Donna Temple-Noble sat side by side, peacefully looking up at the night sky.

The black sky was so peaceful, so quiet, and so beautiful at once. Wilfred knew that somewhere in that sky, the Doctor would be roaming the Universe and saving people. And somewhere in that sky, people would be singing the song of Donna Noble, the most important woman in the Universe.

And Donna couldn't remember it.

It hurt Wilfred so much, shattered his heart in pain and sadness. The Doctor lost his friends—sacrificed himself, and yet, Donna knew nothing about it. She had to forget, in order to keep her head from burning out. And that gave him _so_ much sorrow. Especially when he saw that from time to time, Donna seemed to feel empty. Lost. She even got divorced, because she couldn't stand this strange, _bored _feeling. And she was always looking up at the sky, looking for something she couldn't quite catch.

Wilfred glanced at Donna, concerned. She didn't notice him. She just watched as a glimmering shooting star streaked across the endless night sky, the one she used to travel, a soft smile upon her lips.

"Look, it's a shooting star. I haven't seen one in ages."

"Well then, Donna, make a wish! Who knows, maybe you will get another lottery ticket?" Wilfred chuckled fondly at his granddaughter. Donna laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. He laughed along with her, and looked up to see the shooting star.

Wait…... no, it couldn't be…?

Wilfred frowned, rubbed his eyes, and turned to Donna. "Is it just me, or is that shooting star actually getting _brighter and brighter_?"

Donna's head snapped up. Her eyes widened in surprise. Wilfred was right. Yes, that shooting star didn't look like one anymore. It was too bright, engulfed in a blinding white flame, and it was actually coming closer and closer. To them! And—seriously, was that _a blue police box _in the center of the flame_?_

And _that's _when it happened.

"Oh!" Donna suddenly cried out, a hand flying to her forehead. Her eyes widened impossibly, and Wilfred jumped up, alarmed and fearful.

"Donna? Donna! Are you all right?"

"My—my head—! It _hurts_!" Pain. That was all she could assess at the moment. Pain, heat, burning. A million voices talking in her head, ringing in her ear, ten billion images dancing and fleeting across her vision. It was all too familiar and all too strange. Donna clutched her head and rocked her body back and forth, trying to withstand the sudden flood of thoughts.

It was her _memory_ coming back.

_Oi, Doctor, let's get out of here! Huon Energy—a pencil in a cup—I'm not mating with you, sunshine! Spaceman, I'm waving at _fat_? Allons-y! It's bigger on the inside. Shock. Give me a shock! Agatha Kristie is always a bestseller—_

_Hello, Doctor Donna. _

The pain vanished as abruptly as it had come, and Donna's eyelids flied open, gasping.

"DOCTOR! That _bloody_ spaceman!"

"Donna…?" Wilfred approached, looking cofused and cautious at the same time. "Are… are you all right?"

"Me? Of course! Of course I'm alright. Except for the fact that the stupid idiot ERASED my memory and left me here to grow old and die! What did you expect? Explode or burst into flames or something like that?"

"Well, Donna…" Wilfred's voice trailed off uncertainly, and Donna looked baffled.

"Seriously? Did you think that I would explode?"

Wilfred toyed with his fingers, looking confused and nervous. Then he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Actually… the Doctor, he told us that you absorbed his knowledge. And Time Lord consciousness being too much for a human to contain, you would have burned or something if you kept your memory. That's why he erased your memory—to save you. Well, somehow…" He shrugged, chuckling a bit. He still couldn't quite believe the fact that now, Donna remembered _everything_.

"I think it turned out great! I mean, well, you remembered, but you aren't burning up, right?"

"Well—I don't know. Oh my god. This is a bit much to take in," Donna said, rubbing her temples. She still felt a little numb. Her mind was overwhelmed by all the memories and all the Time-Lordian knowledge. (Although some parts—like seeing all the timelines side-by-side—were stragely missing. Maybe that was why she wasn't burning up.)

Then despair welled up in her heart. Last time the Doctor left her, it took her ages to find him again. And that was only sheer dumb luck, too. She felt like screaming; so, duh, she remembered. But how could that be _good_ when she couldn't get back on the TARDIS? She didn't even know if she will ever see the Doctor again!

Oh, this was so abrupt. One moment she was sitting under the stars, and now she was longing for a certain, bigger-on-the-inside, time-traveling blue police box. She sighed, feeling more lost than ever. Wilfred watched her helplessly, the smile gone from his face.

But then, suddenly—!

**WHAM!**

"What?!" Donna looked up and gasped. Wilfred's mouth hung open, too. That couldn't be happening; that simply couldn't—!

"It's the TARDIS!" Wilfred exclaimed, surprise dawning on him. "So _that's_ why you remembered…?"

Yes. Sure enough, the blue police box shooting by was unmistakably the Doctor's TARDIS. It didn't look like it was in its best condition, though; it was thoroughly wrapped in a brilliant coat of white burning flame, and there was a jagged, giant _crack_ in the night sky, brightly illuminating Donna's backyard. _What the hell was that? _He wondered. _What did that poor lad get himself into this time?_

"Oh my god. _Oh, my, god_!" Donna jumped up, hardly believing her eyes. This was too good to be true—and this was her only chance. Maybe. She jumped up without hesitation and began shouting at the top of her lungs, flailing her arms wildly.

"OI, SPACEMAN! DOCTOR! I'M HERE, you'd better come and pick me up, or else I'll slap you for good! I REMEMBER—!"

At her words, as if by magic, the TARDIS stopped. Stopped dead in its track. It wobbled in the air, smoke erupting from its engines, shaking uncertainly, all-wibbly-wobbly, then it turned, facing her side, as if it could hear and see her, tilted a little, when—

The splendid white light emanating from the Crack died out.

The TARDIS was still for a moment, absolutely and completely still, then it began— it began plummeting to the ground! Staggering, crashing, falling at an alarming speed—

_**BANG!**_

—Right into the woods.

"Ow," Wilfred winced. "I knew he was in a bad condition. Even spaceship engines don't work properly when they are on fire."

"Doctor!" Donna yelled, alarmed, springing forth instinctively. The blue police box shuddered and groaned, obviously in an extremely bad shape— then finally collapsed onto the ground with another huge _boom_. Donna came right up close to the familiar time machine, her heart racing and her thoughts wild. What could have happened to the Doctor?

"I need to get him out of there!" She cried, grabbing a wooden stick and beating away the broken branches blocking her way. Wilfred was standing by her side in a second, huffing heavily, and joined Donna in searching for a way in. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the entrance was clear. The door, usually closed tight, was hanging open. Donna and her grandfather took a hesitant step in, unsure of what will be waiting for them inside.

That's when she heard the groan.

The _Doctor'_s groan.

"Are you okay, Doctor?" Donna yelled, sprinting into the console room without any more faltering. Wilfred was about to follow her—when he realized that the Doctor must have changed. The last time he had confronted the lone Time Lord, he was full of grief and sorrow. He had said that he was dying; that 'it had started'. Yes, he had been dying—well, not exactly dying, but regenerating, he said. But still—

Donna wouldn't be able to recognize the stranger.

"Donna, wait!" Wilfred shouted, hurrying after the determined woman. She was already far ahead of him, and came to a stop—gasped—when she saw a familiar man in strange clothes, sprawled out unconscious in the console room. She rushed forward, shaking the pale man.

"Doctor! DOCTOR! Oi, are you with us?"

Wilfred stood and stared, confusion evident on his face.

It was the same Doctor.

Brown, crazy hair sticking up on its own, check. Tall, skinny, and handsome, check. Sideburns, check. He hung limp on his chair, beads of sweat lacing his forehead. His breathing was sporadic and strained, too. But not dying. Definitely not dying. Relieved, Donna pulled back, then observed him up and down. She frowned, and said in an incredulous voice.

"_Seriously_? Black suit and hat? Was he on a date or something? And oh, don't tell me that's a _bowtie_! What got into him?" Donna muttered, tapping him on the shoulder. "And he looks like he is getting _younger_!"

SLAP!

Donna Noble's powerful slap, one almost as powerful as a Tyler's, came down on the poor man's back with a loud, thundering _smack_. The Doctor inhaled sharply in shock, and his eyelids flew open.

"Whoa!" He gasped, jolting upright. He panted for a few seconds, looking around with a disoriented look on his face. Then he spotted Donna and Wilfred. He blinked rapidly, taking in the sight—and grinned. The familiar, manic grin.

"Well, if this isn't Donna and good old Wilf! Donna, Donna, so you are alright? No fever, no burning, no headache, no nothing? Right? It worked, eh? And it looks like I've made it through all that _alive_. Brilliant!" He pulled both of them in a tight hug, laughing.

"Spaceman…" Alive through _what_? Donna wondered. She was about to ask, but the Doctor suddenly withdrew, a look of horror dawning on his face.

"Wait, wait, wait. _How_ did you recognize me, Donna?"

Donna snorted.

"Well, as I have my damn memories back, I'm sure as _hell_ that I'm bound to know your face, Doc. After all, it's not easy to forget a time-traveling, 900-year-old alien."

"No, no, no, it's not that— but my face, it changed!" The Doctor cried out helplessly. He leapt up and rushed to the mirror. He inhaled sharply when he saw his own face. "Oh god, no. But this—this can't be!"

"What's wrong?" Wilfred edged forward, feeling unsettled by the shadow of panic clouding the time traveler's eyes. The Doctor, still staring at his reflection, murmured.

"I've regenerated, Wilf. You shouldn't be able to recognize me."

"You _what_?" Donna yelled, stepping forward. But the Doctor stopped her advance by lifting both of his hands. He turned to face the two of them, his eyes, fierce, intent, and fearful.

"Not now, Donna. Listen! I've regenerated into my Eleventh form ages and ages ago. I died and changed my face! But today—today I was being chased by a horde of mad Daleks. You remember those mad killer pepper-pots, huh? And the only way I could escape, the only way I could survive, was going through a Crack in Time. But the intense storm of the Huon Energy affected my own body; it wrecked my timeline. I've actually degenerated, for God's sake! The degeneration process seems to have stopped, but—"

The Doctor clenched his teeth, his eyes tightly shut.

"It's not over, not at all. Oh, this is going to be bad. Very bad. I'm, I'm…"

"You're what?" Donna said, her voice fearful. Her Doctor-Donna brain understood what he was saying all too well; but it just made her anxiety worse. Such _massive_ dose of energy could have unthinkable effects on an incredibly time-sensitive species like Time Lords. Anything could happen.

The Doctor took a shuddering breath. His body convulsed in pain as his feet kept slipping, leaning on the wall. Oh, he didn't want… his reunion with good old friends… to go like this. A wisp of golden dust seemed to seep into his veins. Wrong way. Regeneration energy should go _out_, not get back in. Everything was going wrong, wrong, wrong!

"No…" He murmured in a faint voice. "The degeneration process—it stopped. But the time, it's still rewinding and breaking… I, I am—"

The Doctor's body shook in a painful spasm as he gasped out loud. "I am _de-aging_."

He collapsed onto the floor, unable to withstand the burning pain any longer. If regeneration was an explosion, this was an implosion; it was killing him, killing his tissues and ripping apart his cells in the most painful way possible. He writhed, trying to control his pain, for fear of frightening poor Donna Noble and old Wilfred Mott. But when he found out that it was impossible, he did the most natural thing he could have done at the moment:

He screamed.

"A—_Ahhhh_!"

"Doctor!" Donna quickly caught his body before he fell completely and banged his head on the floor. Her warmth seemed to calm him down a bit, ease his pains; he gulped large amounts of air several times, his body shaking uncontrollably. He opened his eyes and stared at Donna wide-eyed, clutching her hand like a drowning man.

"Donna, Donna, Donna, don't worry. The pain, it's not going to kill me or anything, it's just massive cell deaths giving me a severe cramp or something. But the thing is… I—I—I—need to ask you something, Donna, you amazing, brilliant woman— The Most Important Woman in the Universe." He rambled, giving her a weak, fake grin. Then he turned serious again, as he stared intently into her eyes as he asked:

"How many years has it been… since when I, I left you after erasing your memory? Tell me. You have to."

"Three years," Wilfred answered instead, and Donna scowled at the unpleasant reminder. The Doctor gave her an apologetic smile. He let out a soft laughter.

"It was two hundred years for me, Donna."

A heavy silence.

"_What_?!" Donna hissed and swacked him on the shoulder, albeit not so hard this time. The Doctor involuntarily whimpered and cringed at the stinging pain, and she almost felt sorry for him—but she couldn't help but snap.

"You didn't even pay me a visit for two whole _centuries_?! Spaceman—!"

"I know, and I'm so sorry about that. I was a coward and idiot, but what I'm trying to say is… that…" His jaws trembled as he slowly took a long, deep breath. Then he continued. "I'm a different man, Donna. I've gone through so much, things you can't even imagine. I've regenerated. I've _changed_ so much…"

"It's okay," Donna said, shrugging carelessly.

"I like fez," he stated in a matter-of-fact voice. "I like fish finger and custard. I like bowties. I've traveled with other companions, too."

"That's okay, too."

"I've used guns, Donna. I've experienced and jumped into the center of another Big Bang. I am married, too."

"That's—wait. _WHAT? _YOU'VE MARRIED—"

"Anyway," The Doctor continued quickly. "I'm a changed man. I'm completely different on the inside. I might not be _your_ Doctor anymore. Is… is that okay? After all those years, do you still trust me enough to help me out?"

He stared at her with pleading eyes. Donna wanted so much to press him about the marriage—she had never thought of him as a 'domestic type', good god, no— but she couldn't. That was a topic for another day, when things were not so dire.

So she simply let her frown dissolve, gave his hand a gentle squeeze with her own, and whispered—

"You might have changed, Spaceman, I know that. Everyone does; that's what time does to us. And yes, you might not be _my _Doctor. But you are still the _Doctor_, and that makes you the same man."

His eyes widened, then brimmed with tears. He turned his head away to hide it.

"Thank you, Donna." He whispered. "Now, hold onto me. I'll come back, no matter what happens to me, I promise. Just… hold on. Real tight. Please… don't let me go."

She did, and he gave a brief, tearful smile.

"Thank you, Donna. Thank you so much. Well, now… Geromino." He whispered, and closed his eyes.

And as soon as he did so, a blinding rush of white light erupted from his veins. His body turned rigid, but only for a split second; the next thing they knew, his back was arching, his head was thrown back violently, as if he was having a seizure. And he was _screaming_ and _screaming_ like hell. The Huon Energy was exploding all around, engulfing the Time Lord's body in a golden flame.

"Donna, what's happening?!" Wilfred shouted over the thundering sound, and Donna yelled back.

"Just close your eyes, Grandpa! The Huon Energy is taking effect! Close your eyes and DON'T LOOK!"

Wilfred obeyed, and Donna closed her own eyes tightly, too. A few images fleeted across her mind. It was the messages that the Doctor had transmitted to her telepathically in his last moment. She saw that the Doctor had recorded a vocal message in the main database— had sent messages asking for help to all his companions— they were going to come and help him.

Donna gaped as her eyes flashed open. The light was gradually subsiding; the process had ceased. She slowly looked down to her lap, where the Doctor had been lying, her heart drumming against her ribs painfully fast. Wilfred opened his eyes too, looked, and gaped openly at the bizarre sight.

There, swamped in a heap of all-too-large clothes that the Eleventh Doctor had been wearing, was a child. A peacefully sleeping child with messy locks of brown hair, his body too small for his age. Donna's heart stuttered as she realized who the boy was.

The child _was_ the Doctor.  
**  
A/N: Thank you so much for your R&Rs! I might post another chapter today. Please keep on reviewing and following!**

** Anime Angel 72: Yes, I did make a story with a child Tenny. And yes, thank you for your kiss. This fic may be even longer than fifty chapters, so please, please, please keep an eye on it! I LOVE you for leaving a review. And thanks for calling me a genius (although I'm not.) Ah, and I'm a girl, by the way.**

** Shadowdragon1317: Ah, my lovable first reviewer. I never knew that there was a Time Lord Dragon, though…... (sniff sniff) But I do wish you good luck for your Pear Destruction Project. And OH MY GOOOD yes this is a fic with both Tenny and our Raggedy Man! And it's new! Yeah! Thank you **_**soooo**_** much for encouraging me! I'll surely keep on posting!**

** Guest: Ooooh, can you hear me jumping in joy? YES! Thank you soooo much! I love you! IC is the best compliment you can give me! I'll go and write another chapter—sniff sniff.**

** Lili: Thank you for your compliment:) I'm not very good at English, though. I'm still learning. Please help me out if you see any grammatical mistakes!**

** RandomW: Yes, I did. (wink wink!) Okay, basically everyone will make an appearance in this story. Including Rose and 10.5! But unfortunately Rose isn't a main character :( Okay, and I don't care about the distantce; you can give me hugs as much as you want to!**


	3. Flirter on the Loose

**A/N: Here… comes… the Companions! BOOM! And thus my novel will turn into a fantastic mixture of humor and H/C. But mostly humorous fluff. Who cares—Let's get started!**

**Chapter 3**

**Flirter on the Loose**

It was a peaceful night in Cardiff.

Which meant an utterly boring _hell_ of a time for Captain Jack Harkness.

Goodness, how could this be happening? Not a single alien invasion or strange signals? Why do those aliens always wait for Christmas to make a bloody invasion?

Jack groaned, lamenting the limitless unfairness of the world. Even his Torchwood team was either surfing the net or dozing off peacefully. What was the matter with them? All he could hear was the occasional _tap tapping_ of the keyboard or the snoring noise of his teammates. And there was no one to flirt with. How tragic.

He sighed, cleaning his gun. He wished…

He wished the Doctor was here.

Of course, since the Doctor wasn't the greatest fan of Jack's flirting (which, by the way, Jack couldn't still understand), and also due to his so-called 'immortality related headache issues'—it was highly likely that the next encounter with him would be another Almost-Doomsday for poor Earth.

"Three years," Jack muttered under his breath, flicking on the computer screen. "It has been three years since your last visit, Doc. And _that_ was an apocalypse, so it doesn't count—"

And that was when he saw _it_.

His mouth dropped open, his ramblings abruptly cut off. The rift energy signal? But—but this was impossible! He stared at the screen, where the sudden spike in rift energy was displayed. And the signal read _seven times stronger_ than a TARDIS appearance!

His heart skipped another beat when his phone buzzed loudly. He looked at the phone, frowning. A message from the TARDIS—asking for _help_? It was no coincidence! Nope, no coincidence, nada.

The Doctor must have gotten himself involved in something big. Something really, really huge.

He jumped up, grinning, threw his goat on, grabbed his gun and everything. _Finally._ The Doctor was back. Back! And he was asking for his help—which disturbed him a bit. The Doctor didn't ask for help under normal circumstances. Yes, he did order people around, give advices from time to time, but a cry for help? That was completely out of character for him. He felt a tinge of uneasiness fluttering in his heart as the original wave of excitement wore off. What could be possibly happening? What was wrong with the Doctor?

Yup, he was definitely going.

"Jack, where are you going?" Ianto rubbed his eyes and called after the Torchwood leader, who was just leaving the room fully packed. Captain Jack Harkness glanced back, and flashed a charming grin.

"Tell others that I'm going on a vacation. I need to help an old friend of mine!"

"What? Jack, you can't just go like that! Wait—!"

But he was already gone. Ianto groaned, rubbing his temples. Stupid Jack. Always sauntering off by his own! Now, how was he going to handle this? He glanced at his team, who was still engaged in a peaceful sleep. He couldn't just say that 'Jack decided that he wanted to see an 'old friend' and went on a merry holiday all on his own, so get on with your work!' when they woke up and questioned about the lack of their leader's presence. He sighed.

It was going to be a long night.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

"Mickey! _Mickey_!" Martha Smith—more commonly known as Martha Jones—rushed down the stairs, exiting the UNIT headquarters. Mickey Smith, who was busily typing into his laptop, looked up—only to have the air knocked out from his lungs as Martha hugged him, laughing out of excitement.

"I did it! I did it— we can go! Kate Stewart assigned both of us a new mission and she said that we could stay there as long as we needed!"

"What mission?"

"The TARDIS and Doctor Surveillance Duty!" Martha revealed, beaming. There was a stunned silence, and then Mickey's dazed expression cracked into a wide grin. He hugged his wife, lifted her straight off the ground, and the two of them began laughing together exuberantly.

"Well done, Mrs. Smith! I _knew _you could do it!"

"That's Martha for you, not Mrs. Smith, you idiot!" Martha smirked triumphantly, getting back down to the ground. "My persuasion skill once saved the whole world from a psychopathic alien Prime Minister, you know."

"Okay, okay, let's get going. We have a duty to do, you know." Mickey waved his hand, and both of them hurriedly got into the car. He handed his laptop to Martha and turned the key. The engine roared to life like a Cheshire Cat, and soon, they were speeding down the highway—to Donna Noble's house.

Martha peered into the computer screen. While she was in the UNIT office, informing Kate Stewart of the urgent situation and getting her permission to leave the workplace, Mickey had hacked into many of the CCTVs in the Noble neighborhood. She flicked through the videos. Mickey tapped a corner of the computer screen.

"Here. This particular surveillance camera caught sight of a weird crack in the sky. And I found quite a few recent Twitter postings claiming to have seen a burning police box falling from the sky in this region. That means—"

"—the Doctor," Martha finished his sentence for him, and snapped the laptop shut. She sighed. What could he have gotten himself into this time?

Last time the Doctor had saved their lives by taking down a Sontaran soldier, who was aiming at them with his gun. They were very surprised and thankful at then, but the dark, desperate look in the Doctor's eyes unsettled them at the same time. The way he wordlessly turned away and disappeared, the way he didn't even try to smile—that also made them uneasy. After that event, Mickey had commented that the Doctor had the look of a dying man, and Martha slapped him on the shoulder, scolding him for saying such a thing. But still—

Rushing down the way to Donna Noble's, Martha vowed in silence that she would do all she could do to protect the Doctor. He was asking for help, which was a rare thing; whatever his request was, Martha was determined to carry it out.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

"Come here, K-9." Sarah Jane Smith called at the robot dog, which followed her out the door. Before getting into the car, she turned to Luke, her adopted son, and told sternly:

"Don't go off saving the world on your own, Luke. No reckless things—Mr. Smith will look after you!"

"Mom…" The boy fidgeted guiltily. "Can't I go see the Doctor, too?"

"No, it might be dangerous. Besides, you have a school to attend!" Sarah Jane shook her head. Luke pouted, and her frown softened. She briefly kissed her son and smiled.

"I'll be back soon."

She got into the car and drove off, worry nagging at the corner of her mind; the Doctor had sent a message, asking her to come and help him. This was an uncommon thing. She stepped on the accelerator, speeding up the car. She was definitely coming. Although…

Sarah frowned. Was that a… _police car_ that was being chased by other police cars?

Yes. It was.

Amy Pond was screaming.

Rory Williams (Also known as Rory Pond) was driving at one hundred and fifty miles per hour, his teeth clenched.

River Song was shooting with her blaster gun.

Awesome, brilliant Ponds.

Stealing a police car and shooting guns randomly to break through a traffic jam.

…The Doctor would have loved it.

Yes. Anyway, Captain Jack Harkness, Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane, Amelia Pond, Rory Williams, River Song—these were the people the TARDIS had chosen. These were the people the Doctor trusted. These were the people who would sacrifice their own lives to help save this time-traveling alien friend of theirs.

They were, in short, the Doctor's family.

The Biggest Family on Earth, as Sarah Jane had once called it.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

The child was small. He looked like he was about ten years old, but still, he was small and slender, even for his age. A lock of soft, silky brown hair fell onto his face as he was changed into pajamas and gingerly tucked into a comfy bed by Wilfred Mott. Donna pulled a stool over and sat on it, staring into the young boy's face.

He was a lovely child— but he still looked like _him_. Her Doctor. There was something familiar in his peaceful, sleeping face. Something that reminded her of the Doctor before he was de-aged. Oh, well. She shrugged it off. I'm having none of that nostalgia, Doctor Donna! Figure things out, and reverse it, get the Doctor back to normal— concentrate—!

Shoot.

She was clueless.

She was frowning and busily swearing under her breath when Wilfred came up to her, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He curiously observed the young child's rather pale features.

"That's the Doctor, right?" He commented, chuckling. "But it's better than I hoped, though. As soon as he's up and about, you can travel through the stars again, girl! Your memories are back, the Doctor is back with his blue box— Oh, I thought I'd never see him again."

"What?" Donna looked up. Wilfred's eyes were sad and worn out as he gazed at somewhere far, far away.

"You know, that Christmas when you had a headache and passed out— he saved the Earth again. Said something about a prophecy involving his death, absorbed radiation to save me—and he left, just… left us." He shook his head regretfully, stroking the boy's hair gently.

"He looked so lonely… the lottery ticket, Donna, the one you got as your marriage present—that was his. He gave it to you. It was his last present, and I think he was already dying by then. Regenerated, I mean. I never forgave myself for that, Donna. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Donna said, shooting a glare at the unconscious boy. "That idiot. Always running himself down!"

Oh, she felt so tired. It was a long night; so many things happened… her memory coming back, TARDIS falling from the sky, the Doctor regressing into a child…... Donna glanced out the window, and sighed. Her head still throbbed mildly, probably from the lack of sleep. It was breaking dawn.

"Irving…" The Doctor moaned, pulling the blanket closer. Donna leapt up, startled.

"What? Oi, _Doctor_! You awake?" She yelled. Oh, it felt weird, really weird, calling this tiny child 'the Doctor'. To her, the Doctor was all pinstripes, sandshoes and cheerful grins. —Huh, whatever. She, being Donna, simply shrugged off the nagging feeling.

The Doctor, however, didn't wake up. He merely sighed, relaxing. Donna slumped back onto the chair, feeling all despondent. Wilfred placed a comforting hand on her back silently, trying to console her.

_That_'s when the doorbell trilled.

"I'll go get it," Wilfred told his granddaughter, and hurried out the room. He was so glad that Sylvia was staying at her friend's house for the time being. He and Donna didn't need any more complications or headaches. He rushed down the stairs, huffing.

_Tap tap tap tap._

The man outside was knocking incessantly. Wilfred took a moment collecting his breath, then called out.

"Who is it?"

A split second of silence—and the man on the other side answered in a hesitating voice.

"Is Donna Noble here?"

"I'm her grandfather!"  
"Oh, well. Close enough," He coughed awkwardly. "I am Jack Harkness from Torchwood. Doctor's friend—I received a signal from the TARDIS. May I come in?"

"Oh, you're one of 'em!" Wilf hurriedly threw the door open, relieved. Jack grinned playfully, taking a step forward.

"Captain Jack Harkness, at your service. Now, where is the Doctor?"

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews and/or follows, Guest, guest 01, BADWOLFGINGER, Shadowdragon1317, FandomGod321, Cure Eclipse! Really, you guys know how to make me keep going :) I'm so flattered! And yes, I don't hold copyrights…**

**R&R to have the next Chapter Posted! Next Chapter: Doctor wakes up. Big, big chaotic, fun reunion!**


	4. A Shock a Day keeps the Angst Away

**A/N: Wow. You see? You guys were just AWESOME in last chapter's reviews! You inspired me so much that I had to update FAST. Thank you for reading this story, my wonderful readers, especially Addicted, Guest, Cure Eclipse, Shadowdragon1317, mp22mp22, Angelic915, Anaika Skywalker!**

**WARNING: This chapter is a bit long! I mean, **_**very**_** long. I didn't want to make the pace of this story too hurried, but I just couldn't keep the Doctor in a coma for too long. So I simply… lengthened the chapter. Now, let's start!**

**Chapter 4**

**A Shock a Day Keeps the Angst Away**

_It was chaos._

_It was dark. So very dark. And confusing, too. It was like looking into the Schism all over again. And I was afraid. Very, very afraid._

_In my dream, a saw a blue police box dancing in the night sky. I saw an old man with his granddaughter, a man who liked playing music, a man who had an incredibly long scarf, and many, many others._

_A man with big ears and a broken heart; a big-haired man who liked to grin cheerfully, but couldn't hide his loneliness. A man who regrets, a man who forgets. And a man with floppy brown hair and a manic grin. _

_They were all there, right there, in front of me. But it was just… so. I didn't know who they were._

_I didn't know who I was._

_I saw a blue planet called Earth. Sol 3, right? Wasn't it? In my dreams, I had many friends there. But it was just that; dreams. I couldn't even recall their faces. It was all too vague, and it felt like they were all slipping away, dissolving into nothing but dust._

"Doctor!"

_Hey, I'm not a Doctor. Why are you calling me so? The Doctor— it stood for a Saintly Healer, the determination to be never cruel or cowardly, never give up, never give in. Hmm. Nice word! Almost as nice as… pond. Or river song. Yes, that's it! That word rolls off your tongue like music. I like it. What does it mean to me, though?_

_Hmm. Doesn't matter, I guess. Maybe I'll choose that word, 'the Doctor', as my name when I'm older. When I go to my Naming Ceremony._

…_I'm hungry. Pears. I hate pears. Who eats pears? Pears are evil. Apples are evil. Bananas? Good. Fantastic. Custard cream, jelly babies, great. Fish fingers? Perfect! Does fish have fingers? I hope so. I love jelly fish, baby fingers, banana cream. Oh. Wait. Did I just get mixed up a little?_

The Doctor frowned in his dream, trying to put his thoughts in a straight line but failing miserably. _Concentrate, Doctor!_ Wait. Was his name the Doctor? _No, of course not! It's Theta Sigma. _That was what people called him at the Academy! Yes, he was definitely Theta, not the Doctor. Definitely not. Why did he keep getting all confused?

Oh, and the memories—they were _so_ befuddled, regressing, sinking away. All one thousand years of his life— they were gone. Fading away like a whisper in the wind— and that left behind this young Theta Sigma, age ten, a Time Tot.

Through all those drastic changes beat his two hearts, steady and regular and strong.

_Th-thump. Th-thump. Th-thump. Th-thump._

Listen. Four heartbeats are drumming against his chest, singing for him to wake him up, singing a new song that had never been sung before. Listen.

_Once upon a time, there was a man._

_He was young and old, wise and idiotic, sad and cheerful, a Lonely God with the biggest family on Earth._

_A man who saved his wife but lost his memory, lost his memory but found his lost family again, lost but found, found but lost. _

_This is the story of a man who returned._

_This is the song of the Childish Hour._

_This is the story of Theta Sigma, the Boy who Remembered._

Listen.

The clock struck six. The Doctor's finger twitched—but no one noticed.

**DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW**

"Oh, it's you!" Donna exclaimed, frowning. "Captain Jack, right? Sorry, my memories are still fuzzy."

"Oh, it's just Jack. Jack Harkness," Jack said, winking at her. "And if this isn't _the_ Donna Noble, Savior of the Universe! Nice to see you again."

"Oh, you're welcome here any day."

"How about any _night_?"

"Shut up."

"Aww." Jack pouted playfully at that.

Donna, Wilfred and Jack were in the living room downstairs, watching the fire crackle pleasantly in the fireplace. Donna's house was magnificent now. _Very_ magnificent. It was not 'bigger-on-the-inside' like the TARDIS, but it was still big enough. All thanks to the Doctor's wedding present—damn him! Donna scowled. Who gave out _wedding presents_ when they were dying? Obviously no one, save this selfless, _stupid _Spaceman! Hmph.

Jack, who was taking a look around the house, finally returned to the living room and sat back down. He gave Donna and Wilf a flirtatious smile.

"Oh, nice house, by the way! I just took a brief tour of the first floor. Is the Doctor—is he here? Upstairs or something? I saw his TARDIS on the garden, but I couldn't see him anywhere."

His voice was carefree and light, but Wilfred noticed that the Captain's eyes betrayed his feelings; they were so full of worry and anxiety for the other man. Looks like the Doctor has a bunch of great fellows for friends, he mused.

Donna, on the other hand, answered Jack's question quite hesitantly.

"Ye—s, he's sleeping upstairs."

"Oh," Jack breathed in relief. Then he added, leaping up from his seat in excitement. "Then can I go see him?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," Donna shook her head, taken aback. Oh no. She couldn't just tell him that the Doctor had kind of— 'regenerated- degenerated- de-aged'. No, that wouldn't work at all. _Oh my God, Spaceman! How could you make me do the explaining part? _Even with a partly Time Lord-ish brain, she was never the spokesman type; the Doctor was the one with a _sonic tongue_ or something.

Oh, whatever. This was all _his _fault.

"It's a bit… complicated," Donna said, vaguely motioning toward the staircase. Jack's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You see, on the way here, something went wrong for him. Something similar to a regeneration, but other things came along as well, too. Oh, that _idiot_! It's really, really complicated, but he is… all right in a sense, so you don't have to worry _too_ much."

"Oh. All right," Jack replied, confused. Then his eyes suddenly lit up with hope.

"Is this regeneration incredibly sexy or something? Isn't that why you are keeping me away?"

"WHAT? I mean, NO! But don't you DARE flirt with the Doctor. You will end up getting yourself arrested, and that's for certain, Captain!"

"Awwww… what a disappointment. Can I ask why?"

Jack grinned, but Donna placed her hands on her hips, assuming a stern look and glaring at the man.

"Look here, Sunshine, I'll explain when others arrive!"

"Others? What others?"

Out of curiosity, Jack leaned forward and was about to inquire further into the issue when the doorbell rang. Wilfred got up and rushed to the front door. When he opened it, Mickey and Martha was standing there, to Jack's great surprise.

"Where's the Doctor? Is he alright?" Martha barged into the room, breathless. Jack and Donna had barely managed to calm her down with a cup of tea and a few assuring words ("Yes, the Doctor is here, he's sleeping upstairs." "No, he isn't dying or severely injured…") when the doorbell buzzed again. This time, Sarah Jane stomped in, K-9 trailing behind her.

"Where's the Doctor? Did he get himself hurt again?" She demanded.

Martha and Mickey persuaded her to sit down, catch a breath, have a cuppa, no, the Doctor was not 'hurt'—and, of course, the Doorbell trilled for the fourth time in a day.

Donna's headache was getting worse.

Poor Wilfred's legs weren't having a good day, either.

He practically dragged himself over to the door, muttering something that sounded like 'no more', and opened it—only to find three Ponds loudly arguing with the police.

Martha and Mickey had to drive the angry policemen away with their UNIT ID cards, telling them that this place was under _their_ authority. When they retreated rather reluctantly, the couple sighed out of relief and returned to the now crowded living room, where chaos reigned.

Donna's jaw dropped when she saw River, alive and healthy; they were now hugging, laughing, and merrily chatting away. Jack was attempting to flirt with Amy rather unsuccessfully, and when Rory got angry and told him off for that, he flirted with _him_, too. Wilfred was bringing out tea and breakfast, Sarah was thanking him—and exactly _where _was the Doctor?

Martha poked Mickey. He groaned—making these people quiet down was going to be as difficult as making the Doctor eat pears. ("Pears? Seriously, pears?! PEARS ARE EMBODIMENTS OF EVIL!") However, being a soldier, Mickey decided to give it a try. He braced himself, inhaled deeply, and then—

"OKAY GUYS, SHUT UP—!"

—And, miraculously, they did.

For a split second, there was utter silence as they all stared at Mickey, eyes wide. Mickey sighed, lifting both of his palms and explained.

"Okay, I'm sorry for that, but we need a bit of order around here. You all got messages from the TARDIS, right? Then we came here to help the Doctor. We aren't getting anywhere like this."

"Mickey Mouse is right," Jack nodded, his face suddenly serious—before he cracked into a grin and winked at Rory. "Oh, how about this: Introduction first, and explanation from Donna next?"

"Right." Rory coughed, promptly ignoring the man's flirting. "That's good. Yes. Introduction, explanation, first things first. So… anyone going first?"

A beat—and Sarah Jane stood up, a soft smile upon her lips.

"I will. My name is Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Third and Fourth Doctor. I…"

**DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW**

Upstairs, a young boy was sleeping in a four-posted, big, comfortable bed. His breathing was even; and his body was completely still.

A crack of sunlight seeped in through the window, illuminating the carpeted floor. A faint sound of laughter echoed from the first floor.

The child's finger twitched.

A moment of silence.

Then his eyes fluttered open.

**DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW**

Being the last, River stood up and said quite simply: "Professor River Song, archaeologist. I travel with the Eleventh Doctor." Then she promptly sat down without any more explanation. Frowning, Amy poked her in the side.

"Why didn't you mention that you were my daughter? Or that you were married to the Doctor?" She whispered. River smirked and whispered back.

"I like giving shock to people."

Amy sighed and just shook her head. Oh, Mels. You'd never change, would you?

"Okay, looks like we are done with introductions!" Donna got up and announced. She was holding up a brand new CD in her hand.

"Umm… you see, the Doctor left a recording for us to see. I downloaded it from the TARDIS data core, and I think watching this will cover many things," she said, then grumpily muttered under her breath: "Hopefully."

She turned to the TV, and inserted the CD into the device. After a short pause, it started playing. The TARDIS console room came into view.

The room was shaking violently, and there was a young man with a bowtie, fancy black suit, floppy hair and big brown eyes, running in and out from the screen. Finally, he managed to grab hold of a handle and steady himself. That done, he flashed a toothy grin at the camera.

"Hello! This is the New Doctor speaking!"

"Doctor," River breathed, staring into the screen, captivated. Jack gasped.

"Blimey. Look at the chin. _That's_ the Doctor?!"

"I've seen him before," Sarah Jane commented absent-mindedly. Wilfred was simply staring at the new man.

The Doctor was now grinning, a manic grin that all of them knew all too well. He clapped and spun on the spot, spreading his arms wide.

"Yeowza! New Doctor, new face! Some of you guys would have never seen this one, but whatever. I seem to be getting younger and younger every time I regenerate—huh, I'm rambling again. But the thing is, well, I don't know how many of you would have answered my call, but if you are there, Sarah Jane, Captain Jack Harkness, Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song—"

But they couldn't hear what the Doctor was saying, as the TARDIS crashed once more and he was flung out of the view—and it was unbelievably comical, the way he pitifully yelped and tried to cling on to the handles as he hung upside down, the gravity not doing its work at all for a moment. Martha and Jack had to stifle their giggles at that.

The TARDIS flipped back into the right direction, and seemed to stabilize a bit; the screen stopped shaking. The Doctor, noticing this change, gingerly let go of the handle. He was swinging his arms, trying to keep himself from falling or being thrown into the walls, and he looked almost childishly excited when he managed to balance himself on his feet. He grinned at the screen triumphantly, bouncing on his feet a little.

"Look! Look! I'm not crashing!"

"Oh, that child of a man," Sarah laughed, fresh tears springing to her eyes. Rory nodded, smiling nostalgically.

"He never changes, does he?"

"Always the same," Amy agreed, laughing along. Other people sitting in the room were also smiling at their banter. The Doctor tapped at the camera screen rather impatiently, as if he knew what was going to happen and wanted to get the attention back to him.

"Okay, look here. For those of you who want to know more, it went like this: I went to have a cup of cocktail on the moon. They have some really good bars there, you know, I especially like the Silence Café—they make you think that you are having a really awesome cup of coffee, and even I thought it was great, till the Silents tried to kill me. Huh, whatever!" He waved a hand and shrugged. "That's not the important thing here! The problem is, I think— I might have landed on a Dalek spaceship."

The Doctor drummed his fingers on the console, laughing nervously. Everyone groaned in exasperation.

"Oh _no_, Doc, seriously…?"

"—And they happened to have a stolen Vortex Manipulator!" The Doctor hurried on, trying very hard to look unabashed. "Really, you humans should take better care of your technology—stop handing them out to the wrong hands. Family of Blood, then Daleks… I'm getting tired of it! Yeah, that's right; I'm currently rushing through the Time Vortex, and those insane pepper potts are right behind me. Chasing me. And, mind you, I have thirteen minutes and fifty-six seconds—ooh, it's fifty-four now—before being shot to death. But don't worry!"

He clapped cheerfully, jumping over to the control panel and flashing a carefree grin. "There is a way, _one single chance_ that I can make it out alive. Care to know?"

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Mickey muttered. River crossed her arms, her face calm and controlled—but an oncoming storm in her eyes. She quietly murmured.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Shhh, River, don't!" Amy whispered. Somehow she had a feeling that her daughter was really going to shoot down the Doctor for good this time. The Doctor in the video screen, being unaware of this new threat on his continuing existence in the Universe, pointed at a prominent yellow lever and rambled on monotonously.

"You see—if I pull this lever here, a specific, most dangerous Time Lord technology is activated via the heart of the TARDIS: 'the EETCR'. I believe that even River won't know of this," the Doctor's face darkened all of a sudden as he stared straight into the camera, his eyes stormy. He continued in a low voice. "But it stands for _the Emergency Escape Time Crack Route_."

For a second, no one even dared to breathe. A moment of foreboding silence.

"It works like this: A whole TARDIS explosion can create a Crack in Time that penetrates all time and space, like a wrinkle that appears when two universes press against each other. This can result in an apocalypse for the entire universe, and it actually did, once. I had to throw myself into the Void and cause a Big Bang, erasing myself from existence completely, to stop it from happening. But that's a story for another time." He placed his fingers together, his face dead serious as he stared into their eyes.

"So the Time Lords came up with a theory. If that can happen, why not erase, like, about fifty rooms in the TARDIS, create a much smaller, controlled explosion, generate an artificial, safe, temporary crack, and escape through it? Two time-and-space events, and a shortcut in between. Simple, isn't it?"

River and Donna gasped, being the only ones who could understand the danger of such an act; the others just looked confused, listening intently to understand his explanation. The Doctor was smiling sadly as he simply shook his head.

"Yes. It is a brilliant idea, really. You have to give them some credit for thinking this up! But you know why I never used it? Martha Jones, you remember when I erased my memory and converted myself into a one-hearted human being just to put the Family off scent? Why _didn't_ I use it then, when it could be much simpler and quicker?"

A pause. Martha's heart beat wildly, her eyes wide with remembrance. Yes. Why hadn't he used it? It sounded much less complicated, much safer than losing all the memories and changing one's entire species! Unless…

Unless there were very, very _severe_ side effects.

The Doctor leaned forward, his eyes so impossibly _old and sad_.

"Just like you humans acting all sensitive and prickly to radiation, the Time Lords are… sensitive to _time_. Very, very sensitive. And the crack is full of it. A flood of Huon Energy, and what happens? Timey-wimey, spacey-wacey, and my timelines become all… _disintegrated_."

"Oh no," River breathed. "Please. Don't tell me…"

"No, I didn't die or get myself crippled, in case you are getting the wrong ideas, which I am sure you will," he assured, a ghostly shadow of a smile upon his lips. "But… the thing is, I don't know what will happen at all. Aging, de-aging, regeneration, degeneration, up, down, backwards, forwards, an entire change in personality, memory loss—_anything_ can happen! And as much as I hate to say this and would rather hang myself, I, I… I need your help."

He looked utterly embarrassed, his cheeks flushing bright red. Obviously he wasn't used to saying this kind of stuff. He coughed once or twice, trying his best to shake off the feeling. Amy bit her lips, feeling sympathetic. Poor Raggedy Man.

The Doctor managed to continue, but his eyes were suspiciously downcast as he spoke in a calm, level voice that was _so_ unlike him.

"Whatever happens, don't give up on me. Stay, help me out, and just… hold onto me. Please. I can come back, it's just a matter of time, literally, and I _will_—"

His words were abruptly cut off as he struggled for breath, suddenly overwhelmed by emotions. Finally, after what seemed like ages, he whispered into the camera, letting a drop of tear that he was trying so desperately to hold back roll silently down his pale cheek.

"I'm—I'm _sorry_."

Oh, Raggedy Man, Amy thought sadly. The Doctor quickly wiped away his tears, averting his gaze. Leaning forward, his hand outstretched to stop the recording, he let a hollow grin appear on his lips.

"Well then, this is it," He whispered. "_Geronimo._"

And the screen went black.

**DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW**

The atmosphere of the once-cheerful living room was now heavy. Somber, almost. No one was speaking for nearly a full minute; each and every one was caught up in his—or her—own complex contemplations and emotions, remembering, grieving, and wondering _what _happened after that.

Finally, it was Amy who stood up.

"So, I think it's time for us to know what's going on," she declared, her voice firm and determined. "Where. Is. The. Doctor?"

"Yes, Donna. Tell us—please." Sarah Jane added, nodding. "You said that he was upstairs, sleeping. What happened?"

"Ummmm, that's—" Donna bit her lips, her eyes squeezed shut. Oh, god. She sighed. This was even worse than before. With all this sorrowful people staring at her like this, how on earth could she explain that the Doctor had regressed into a child and was in a coma? The ginger woman nervously stood up, desperately searching for the right words. She just didn't want to shock these _poor _people too badly. Nor make them even sadder.

Engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't notice a soft padding sound of footsteps descending the stairs. And her eyes snapped open in shock only when an unfamiliar, childish voice abruptly spoke up from the bottom of the staircase.

"Hi, hello, good morning! You're humans, right? Or am I wrong?"

People spun around, eyes wide in shock, and found themselves staring into the big brown eyes of a little boy. He was slenderly build, and despite his silky brown hair wildly sticking up on all sides, he had a look of an adorable angel. His eyes tinkled with curiosity and playfulness as he flashed a cheerful, cheeky grin at them.

"Well— I'm Theta, Theta Sigma. I'm ten years old, I'm a Time Lord, and I go to the Time Lord Academy. They are boring. So boring! Is there any chance that you kidnapped me? That would be so _cool_! I always loved traveling. Then, is this Earth? Earth of the Solar System? Wow. That's just… wow!" He rambled excitedly, spun on the spot, and waved his hand. Then he looked up at them again, his brown puppy eyes shining expectantly.

"Anyway, can someone tell me why I'm here?"

Oh.

Whatever.

"Okay," Donna said in an awkward voice, motioning vaguely at the boy. People gaped at her, but she didn't care.

"So _that_… happened."

And they all stood speechless for a second.

**A/N: Just one more thing: I try to keep everyone in character, but I admit it's a bit of a hard work. So forgive me if you spot an OOC or two (if they do exist)! I tried my best :( And, by the way, in case you don't know— Theta Sigma is the childhood name for the Doctor. And I just found out that the Doctor has a brother. Spoilers!**

**And forgive me for ignoring most of the Torchwood cannons. I just couldn't keep our immortal Captain Harkness out of the game. (wink wink!) Thanks for all your Reviews and Favorites! They keep me going **_**so much**_**!**

**A Sneak Peek into the NEXT CHAPTER: "Vale decem, ad aeternam…" Some talk, a TARDIS, a Broken Radio, and Flashbacks. Theta gets the shock of his life. People are about to learn how the Tenth Doctor died.**


	5. Vale Decem

**A/N: In case you don't know, the Doctor's name was Theta Sigma when he was a child. And this is the epic two-chapters-in-a-row day! Yep! Let's begin! Starring an amnesic, de-aged Doctor! **

**Chapter 5**

**Vale Decem**

_A few minutes ago…_

Theta Sigma was staring at the ceiling. He blinked slowly and slowly sat up. Dazed and sleepy, he puffed up his cheek and rubbed it with his small hand. The air was much too cold, too crisp, that it didn't feel like… like… Gallifrey. And the four-posted bed, that was different, and the ceiling was too new, the carpeted floor was unfamiliar to him—this room wasn't his Academy dormitory, and it wasn't his bedroom, either.

Now, where was he?

"A—a—_achooo_!" He sneezed loudly, once, twice, three times. Ow. He wasn't feeling good. It was too cold, the window was open—he rubbed his puffed-up eyes and tried to get out of the bed. Which, unfortunately…

_**CRASH!**_

…Ended up with him crashing down onto the floor, face-first, his legs hopelessly entangled with the white bed sheet.

"Owwww…" He winced, then pouted, sullenly gathering up the blankets and tugging it along. His ankles throbbed, his head ached—why couldn't he get anything right? He felt weird, downright weird. His body didn't feel familiar, like he was in someone else's; he carefully wriggled his fingers and toes. It seemed okay. He gingerly placed a foot on the floor, paused, and then pushed himself up to a standing position.

"Whoa—whoa!" He gasped, staggering. Poor Theta's head spun, and he absent-mindedly thought, _the steering's a bit off_. The gravity was—weaker than he expected. Or maybe not. He waited for a few seconds, adjusting to that feeling and waiting for the dizziness to go away; then he walked up to the window.

The glass window was higher up than he expected, too. Theta had to clamber up onto the stool, fumbling rather awkwardly. After some fruitless struggling, he managed to heave himself up, and grinned triumphantly. He stretched out a hand to close the window—

He gasped.

"_What_—?!" He stumbled, and the stool fell over, but he flailed his arms and clung onto the windowsill. Panting, Theta Sigma craned his neck to see the outside. His eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Nah, wait—this is impossible. _No way_."

In Gallifrey, there was an orange sky, snow-capped mountains, fields of red grass, and trees with silver leaves. When morning came, the sunlight would make the forest look like it's on fire. But this, this place… it was so _green_ and _blue_. Theta simply gaped as his eyes took in the charming sight of the green leaves and grass rustling in the cool morning breeze, the sky blue as ever, the beautiful white clouds floating by, and the brown soil covered with sparkling beads of dew.

A different planet?

So he wasn't mistaken when he thought the temperature and gravity was a bit too off. It was an entirely different planet, all right! Could this be…? He breathed, awestricken, so immersed in the wonderful sight that he didn't notice his fingers slipping—causing his inevitable fall.

_**BANG!**_

"…Ow." A muffled voice groaned in pain from under a heap of thick white blankets. He poked his head out, wincing.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Okay, easy things first," he muttered to himself. "I did ditch a lot of classes, but Extraterrestrial Studies was one of the few subjects that I liked. Let's see if I can see which planet this is—"

He sniffed, frowning in an effort to concentrate. Then he licked the wall, grimaced, and tilted his head, murmuring.

"Relatively high moisture, little or no metallic substance in the air. Green grass, wow, that's weird, blue sky, that's crazy—and humanoids. Wow. Humanoids with—one beating heart? I can only hear one. And quite sophisticated—" He hummed, racking his brains. Then his eyes lit up in delight.

"It's _Earth_!" He stood up, hopping in joy. Oh, this was unbelievable. Crazy, exciting, incredible, _allons-y_! He woke up from his sleep to discover that he was on a whole different _planet_! This couldn't be happening!

"It's real live Earth, with humans, that's crazy! So more exciting than the boring Academy classes! I ditch classes anyway, so it doesn't matter—but how did I end up here?"

Theta's bouncy emotions vanished as he realized that he had no idea how he ended up here. He frowned, scratching his head. Although it was exciting that he was, somehow, on Earth, thousands of light years from his homeland, but he did need to figure out why he was here, and how to get back. He couldn't stay here forever, unless, unless—he was _kidnapped_.

"Nah. No one is interested in me. Who would kidnap Theta Sigma?" He muttered, observing his body. White pajamas and blue slippers. That was new, too. "Maybe it is just a hallucination, maybe Koschei is playing pranks on me—_no_. He wasn't _that _smart. No, no, no, no, no way."

He took a step or two backwards, his brain spinning. This movement unintentionally put him in front of a mirror, and he looked. His eyes bulged.

This wasn't what he looked like.

_Seriously_? He stared at the mirror, assessing his new face. The crazy tufts of brown hair, new teeth, new legs, new fingers, new look and everything—_ooh_, new kidneys! That felt weird. So it wasn't wrong either when he felt that he was steering someone else's body. He _had_ changed. Regenerated, perhaps? Did someone kill him overnight? Was that possible?

Oh, this day was getting weirder and weirder.

"Okay, I just went to bed, woke up in a non-Gallifrey-ish planet, and I can't feel any Time Lord psychic connection. And it looks like I've regenerated in my sleep. Great, just great! I'm clueless!" Freaking out, Theta felt about the body, his arms flailing in a rather awkward and comical manner.

"Kidneys. New kidneys. I like the color. Wait, what? No, no, no, I'm getting it all wrong. Something happened. Kidnappers? Maybe. That was the only logical answer that came to his mind. Calming down a bit at this possibility—he was bullied all the time at school, the kidnappers didn't scare him too much—and his initial excitement of getting his feet on the surface of another planet rearing its head again, he rubbed his hands together.

Theta glanced at the door; it wasn't locked. The window wasn't, either. Whoever put him here couldn't be a villain. Hmph. It didn't make any sense, but he wasn't getting anywhere in this room. He could hear someone talking and moving around, probably humans, downstairs; he decided to go and ask them if they knew anything.

Grinning at this new mystery that was waiting to be solved, he dashed out of the room.

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

_Back to the present…_

"No, don't tell me that he's the Doctor." Amy rubbed her cheek, staring incredulously at the little boy. "This is… creepy."

"Actually, he is," Donna confirmed. "I saw him shrink with my very own eyes."

"Oh my god. I mean… oh, my, god." Amy was at a perfect loss for words. Rory looked equally dumbfounded, and it was River Song and Wilfred Mott who recovered from the initial wave of shock the fastest. River slowly approached the Doctor, who looked a little bit curious and scared at once, and crouched in front of him. After wordlessly staring into the boy's brown puppy eyes for a second, she gently reached out and took the boy's hand.

"Doctor? Do you remember any of us?"

The boy fidgeted, but seemed to feel relieved by her gentle attitude. (Mind you, it was a bit creepy when all these humans were staring at him as if he was the weirdest thing in the world. Which didn't make sense if they were the kidnappers.) His glance briefly rested on each of them, but no spark of recognition could be seen in his innocent eyes. He grinned nervously, shaking his head.

"Umm… should I? Have we met? I thought you—never mind. That was stupid." He hopped onto his left feet, and continued. "And why are you calling me the Doctor? Not that I'm upset or anything. Actually, that was the name I was going to choose at the Naming Ceremony. When I'm older, you know. But usually they call me Theta Sigma."

Theta Sigma. So that was his name, Martha mused, but she was still unable to connect the boy to her Doctor. On the other hand, River knew that Theta Sigma was the childhood name for the Doctor; if this was memory loss, then he must have gone a long way. A very long way. Her heart dropped—it was the Library all over again. The young Doctor couldn't recognize his own wife.

But she was not the lethargic, despairing type; she observed the Doctor, or Theta Sigma to be precise, and smiled at him.

"Okay. Can you tell me about yourself? How much do you remember?"

"Oh, okay. Um, I'm Theta, as I told you before; I go to Time Lord Academy in Gallifrey, and I'm ten years old. I'm not that smart, I fail tests every day." He grinned at them playfully. "I'm not boasting or anything. And, as far as I remember, I went to bed—and woke up like _this_. Am I on Earth?"

Mickey visibly paled at this. He leaned over to Martha and whispered frantically:

"What? He's not smart? _The Doctor_, _not smart_? What does that make _us?_"

"Mickey, shut up." Martha whispered back, not even looking at him. Mickey looked offended, and tried to protest.

"But—"

"Just shut up."

"…Okay." He slumped, defeated. River paid no attention to him, but was trying to think as fast as she could. So, it was like this. Fact 1: The Doctor had regressed into a child. A really, really cute child. No, that's not the point. Fact 2: His memory regressed at the same time, and he is clueless. Fact 3: Now she would have to explain to Theta that he was actually a grown-up, millennium-old Time Lord, last of his kind, and already on his last regeneration.

Shoot.

She really wanted to kill the Doctor. When he came back, of course. She couldn't bring herself to hate this innocent-looking kid. Luckily, Donna came to her rescue, seeing that River was now the one struggling to cope with her own emotions. She crouched beside River and gripped Theta's shoulders with both of her hands.

"Oi, Doctor, or Theta, whoever you are, _listen_." Yes, that was Donna, the ultimate straightforward ginger. Theta stared at her, frozen, but she went on nonetheless. "The reason why we call you the Doctor, and the reason your face changed, and the reason why on earth you are on Earth is all the same!"

A deep breath. A split moment of tense silence.

"It's because you _were_ a grown-up, you chose the name Doctor, you traveled, and you loved Earth. You were our friend, we were your friends, we traveled together in the TARDIS. And _then, _on your Eleventh regeneration, you had an accident in the Time Vortex, making your body and mind regress. In short, you think you are Theta Sigma, but it's just that you hit your head pretty badly and lost most of your memory. Do you understand, Sunshine?"

"Oh," Theta said, stunned. He unconsciously rubbed his cheeks, deep in thought.

Silence.

Then he nodded, smiling again.

"Oh, okay."

"What? Aren't you the one who should be shocked?!" Martha gasped, dumbfounded at this unnaturally calm reaction from a ten-year-old child. The 'child' in question shrugged, grinning at her.

"Shock? Shock is boring. Elevated heart rated, dilated pupils, faster breathing, inability to move—what's the fun in that? Nah, I don't like being shocked. It was a perfectly logical explanation, although it wasn't the one I had been expecting, and I found out that you were my friends, not kidnappers. Human friends, that's cool! Fantastic!" He spun on the spot, and jumped onto the couch. He dangled upside down, a manic grin on his face. Being right beside Rory, Theta scanned him from head to toe and giggled.

"Wow, you have a big nose! It's like Rudolf the Reindeer from 'Santa and the Evil Nightmare Children from the Void.' Are all humans like you?"

"Oh, no. That's definitely the Doctor." Martha groaned, reality suddenly hitting her like a brick.

"Where would all that rudeness go? And here I was, thinking that he was all adorable…" Rory muttered, and Amy shrugged, smirking.

"Why? He _is_ adorable."

"It's the first time we meet for him, and he called me a big-nosed _Rudolf_! And what on earth is the Santa and the Evil Nightmare Children from the Void?!"

"That's the Doctor for you, dad." River said, suddenly brightening up at this wonderful display of 'Doctor-ish rudeness' from Theta. He was always the same, after all. She smirked conspiringly at Theta and said, "Anything you want?"

"I'm hungry," the young boy pouted. The heavy atmosphere was suddenly lifted from the room and a new light of cheerfulness filled it instead. People started talking, smiling at this new Doctor, and bustling about. Just like a normal morning.

"Okay, then. I'll make breakfast for you, Doc." Wilfred Mott hurriedly stood up, heading for the kitchen, when Theta sprang up, a mischievous playfulness tinkling in his eyes.

"No, no, it's okay! I want to make it myself. I think my body remembers what I like to eat."

"Oh, really?" Donna asked eagerly, excitement filling her up. So there _were _some bits and pieces of Doctor left in Theta. Actually, a _lot_ of bits and pieces, it seemed. And she was so glad that the Doctor was back, back into her life. She pulled the little boy along to the kitchen. "Come here, Spaceman, I'll show you the refrigerator. Let's see what you like."

But unlike her, Amy looked unimpressed.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She muttered under her breath, remembering something that she had seen when she met the Raggedy Man for the first time. If this child was really him, well… they would have to see. She just shrugged, and followed others into the kitchen.

Amused, River just raised one of her eyebrows, and merrily walked into the kitchen.

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

_A few minutes later…_

Theta Sigma seemed to be enjoying his 'eccentric' breakfast.

Others weren't enjoying it too much. Actually, Mickey was visibly paling. Rory kept muttering something under his breath. Wilfred looked baffled. Donna was fighting the urge to slap the Doctor's back. Amy sighed and crossed her arms, as if saying, 'I knew this was going to happen'. River, Jack, Martha and Sarah Jane were the only ones that looked amused.

The Grand Recipe for this particular dish?

Fish fingers served with jelly babies and thinly chopped bananas, with a bowlful of custard cream on top.

"Wanna have some?" Theta asked innocently, holding up a fish finger dipped in custard cream. Mickey paled once more and shook his head fervently.

"Errr, thank you, Doctor, but no. I'm kind of full now."

"Oh. Really?" Theta shrugged, and took a huge bite.

….I don't think I can survive this much longer, Rory thought as the young boy happily drank the remaining portion of custard cream and sucked his fingers clean. He sighed and examined the boy's health instead of watching him eat; he looked healthy enough, with strong double pulse and seemingly unlimited bouncy energy.

"He looks cute," Jack commented without thinking, but Martha jabbed his side sharply.

"Don't you dare flirt with this child," she hissed. "That's _crime!_"

"_I'm not flirting_!" Jack protested, sounding extremely offended and incredulous. "I might be a flirter, but I'm not a _pervert_!"

"I certainly hope so," Martha shook her head. Jack spluttered indignantly.

Unaware of this banter, Theta looked up at River and grinned cheerfully.

"Thanks! It was really nice. I should have more of these."

"What?!" Donna cried out, but River smirked and simply said, "Anytime. What do you want to do now?"

"Welllll…" Theta wriggled his toes, uncertain if he was allowed to ask for this. Young Time Lords were prohibited from this, but they certainly looked like they were nice people, and they were his friends, he though, so why not give it a try? He looked up at them hopefully.

"You said that we traveled in the TARDIS, and the fact that we can understand each other means that there is a translation circuit nearby. If—if the TARDIS is here, can I… take a look?" He ducked his head sheepishly. But instead of chastising him for even thinking of sneaking into the TARDIS like the elder Time Lords used to do, his human friends merely exchanged glances and shrugged as if he was asking for nothing.

"Yes. Why not?"

"REALLY?" Theta jumped up and down in excitement, and they chuckled, amused. And so, after cleaning up the mess that resulted from the young Time Lord's 'feast', they all headed to the newly repaired TARDIS sitting in the beautiful lawn. The Doctor's companions walked leisurely, while Wilfred chuckled and held the hand of Theta, who was bouncing along happily.

None of them knew what was coming.

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

"Wow," Theta breathed, looking around in awe. "You… you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."

He gingerly put a hand on the blue surface of the TARDIS, listening to the quiet humming sound. Oh, he could feel it. The beauty of all the time and space it had traveled, the song of its heart. It was speaking to him, calling out to him. He closed his eyes, completely captivated, a soft smile on his lips.

"Theta! What are you doing? Here, come in and take a look! It's yours, after all!" Jack's head popped out and flashed a mischievous grin. Theta's eyes flashed open; he stared back at Jack, a bit dazed. All his friends had entered the familiar phone booth and were eagerly chattering away.

"Oh," he smiled. "Okay."

He ran into the TARDIS, excitement bubbling up inside him. He looked around, and ran to the console, letting his hand glide over all the levers and buttons, laughing in incredulous joy. _All his_. All this belonged to the Doctor—to him! How cool was that? And the Sonic Screwdriver, too! He scrunched his nose in confusion for a moment. Who would sonic a screwdriver? But still, it was cool. He had a sonic device, and a time traveling machine. He had all he would dream for.

"Can I touch these?" Theta called out, hardly daring to believe.

"As much as you like," came River's reply. His attention was immediately turned to the console, and he began tinkering with everything at the same time. Amy glanced at him, and leaned over to River, sounding a bit… worried.

"Is it okay? I mean, he doesn't know anything about TARDIS steering yet. Are you sure we aren't going to get stuck in the Dark Ages or something?"

"Mom, I've locked down most of the important stuff," River whispered back, revealing her 'secret'. Amy was speechless for a moment, stunned at her daughter's cleverness, and then began laughing. _Of course. _This was River, yes.

While others were having a nostalgic chat, touching the walls of the console room affectionately or going into the seemingly endless corridor to have a look at their previous rooms, Theta got bored playing with the (unworking) control panels. He looked around, and spotted a small radio. He picked it up, and began tinkering with it. He frowned. It was broken; it only made a faint clunking noise repeatedly.

"You said that it was broken, last time we met," Sarah Jane said, watching him with a motherly smile. She nodded to him in an encouraging manner. "Why don't you try and fix it? You used to do such a thing in a matter of seconds."

"Really? I didn't learn technology yet, but I do have a Sonic Screwdriver, so maybe—" Theta hummed, scanning the radio with his tube-like device. River came to his side and supplied him with an advice or two on using the Sonic—and finally, he managed to get it working. He scanned the radio once more, this time with a greenish beam.

"A-ha!" He cried out triumphantly, holding up the now working radio. "I fixed it!"

"Good job!" Rory said, nodding earnestly. Given that the boy didn't know a thing at first, he was quite an impressive fast-learner. The radio was now humming smoothly—completely fixed. He suggested to the boy, leaning back comfortably. "Why don't you play us some music?"

"Okay!"

Theta replied cheerfully, and pressed a button that said 'music'.

No one was expecting what happened next. It all came so fast.

A song flared up. A very familiar song.

Theta's eyes widened.

"No," he whispered stiffly, and took a step back. There was fear in his voice. "No, please, stop it."

He dropped the radio with a loud 'clank'. The music was still playing, over and over.

The music that happened to be '_Vale Decem'_.

**A/N: Wait…. NEXT CHAPTER COMING UP…., And also big thanks to Cure Eclipse, Angelic915, Shadowdragon1317, RandomW, and Anaika Skywalker! You faithful guys, you keep me going :) Please R&R if you appreciate my story and want more! **


	6. The Worst Way to Find Out

**A/N: Wow, two chapters in a day. Read the previous chapter first! And again: Theta Sigma is the name of the child Doctor. And WARNING: ANGST AND HURT ABOUND IN THIS CHAPTER!**

**Chapter 6**

**The Worst Way to Find Out**

"My head hurts! It's burning…!" Theta fell onto his knees, clutching his head and sobbing, confused and scared. His voice rose in panic, louder and louder. "What is this? I don't understand. _What is this_?!"

"Doc—Theta!" Amy hurriedly rushed forward and caught the boy's frail body before he completely collapsed. Martha, Jack and Donna were with them in a second. Wilf and other were simply frozen in place, staring at the boy in shock and concern.

"The fever isn't high," Martha placed a hand on the boy's forehead, and informed others in a calm, professional manner. She intently stared into the boy's eyes and continued. "He's going through a seizure. He reacted immediately to that song; I don't know why. Does anybody know…?"

"The lyrics, they are in Latin," Rory suddenly spoke up. Everyone stared at him. He quickly hummed to himself, as if to make sure of it, then spoke in a low voice. "_Vale decem, ad aeternam, di meliora, ad aeternam. Alis grave, ad perpetuam memoriam, vale decem, gratis tibi_."

Theta's body violently jerked at the words, unable to control the shaking that was ripping through his body. River grabbed the boy's shoulders and secured him, and stared at her father, breathless.

"Yes. I think that caused it. What does it mean, though? The lyrics, what does it mean?"

"I…" Rory frowned. "I'm not sure, but I think it goes like this: 'farewell ten, on to eternity. The fates be with you, on to eternity. Lay down your burden, we will remember you, forever more; farewell ten, we give you thanks.' It doesn't make any sense, though. Why is he panicking like that? The lyrics are not threatening or anything. In fact, I don't think it means much."

"When we last met…" Wilfred murmured, his face downcast. "When the Doctor and I met, he—he said he was dying. Said something about an Ood prophecy, that he was afraid."

A heavy silence. River knelt down and caressed the shuddering boy's cheeks ever so gently.

"It looks like some kind of PTSD— he is reliving his memory. The memory of dying, the pain, the regeneration. The song triggered it; he must have heard it before, in similar circumstances. And with the mind of a child…" River faltered, shaking her head. "He can't take it. He just can't."

Theta let out a short, strangled sob. He shuddered again. Mickey winced.

"God, I know that. I saw him like that—once. On that weird Christmas with Sycorax invading our planet. One minute he is gasping and thrashing, the next thing you know is that he's lying unconscious."

"De-aging can be a source of pain, too." Martha added. "He screamed like hell when he was forcefully aged."

"Doctor," River urged the young boy in a caring, but urgent voice. "I'm so, so sorry, but you need to tell us _what's _happening. We will help you. What do you see?"

For a moment the boy convulsed painfully, but he did open his mouth after a few seconds.

"I—I'm dying."

"Oh, what a rough start," Jack murmured to himself, which resulted in Donna slapping him hard on the back.

"Stop it!" She hissed quietly.

"What? It's not like I haven't experienced it. And I wasn't teasing or anything!" He protested, rolling his eyes and rubbing his sore back. But he did quiet down. Theta Sigma—the child Doctor—struggled to breathe, and finally continued, his voice husky with intense pain. And fear. His eyes were empty, staring at something that was so far, far away.

"The radiation is killing me inside out. It hurts, it—it's burning! I saved the humans by driving my own people back into the last Time War. But I'm dying, and I have no one by my side now. No, it's not their fault; it's mine. I made them leave. I made them leave me because I was scared. It isn't fair! I was running away from my fate like a coward, but I couldn't… I just couldn't prevent myself from dying. Why is it always me that loses everything in the end? It _hurts_."

He sniffed, burying his face into River's sweater. She hugged him gently, whereas others stood speechless. For the first time in forever, they were having a look into who the Doctor truly was. Lonely. Sad. Angry. Selfless.

Hurt—beyond imagination.

Was this what he was going through when they were not looking? What was hidden behind his cheerful smile?

Tears sprang to Martha's eyes. Sarah Jane looked down. Donna Noble suddenly felt as if her heart was squeezed. _Oh, Doctor. Why_? This was so cruel. This was the worst way to find out, and they hated it. Hated this moment so much that they just wanted to run away, but they couldn't. They just couldn't.

Theta continued in a husky voice.

"I'm going to… get my reward for the last time."

Wilfred inhaled sharply. Yes. It was him. His Doctor. He clearly remembered his sad face, his exact words. _Getting the reward_, that's what he called his last trip. Now he knew for certain. Theta Sigma—the Doctor—was remembering his death.

Oh, no.

"I saved Mickey, Martha, and Luke—he's Sarah's son. I saw Jack, I saw many people… I gave Donna a lottery ticket. I've left so much damage wherever I went. Hopefully, that will make up for all my faults." Theta confessed, slowly, painfully. "I wanted to be forgiven."

The companions quickly exchanged looks. Amy hugged Rory tight, her heart breaking. Her words, the thing she thoughtlessly shouted at the Doctor when they were visiting the House, rang in her ears painfully clear.

'_You just want to be forgiven, aren't you?'_

Oh, raggedy man. Why hadn't they known? Why hadn't they seen the guilt beneath that miracle of a man?

Of course.

Because he was bloody laughing, running, running away all the time. That liar. Madman hiding in a box. Rule one, the Doctor lies, River thought ruefully. Theta Sigma—the Doctor—snuggled against her more deeply, staring at something they couldn't see. He inhaled deeply before going on.

"Then I saw Rose."

"WHAT?!" Jack and Mickey sprang up immediately, their eyes bulging out. Theta cringed at that—which resulted in Martha slapping the two of them quite hard. Rory the Roman forced them to sit down, despite all their quiet protests. Romans could be very scary from time to time, you know.

A tiny smile crept over Theta's face.

"That was our first and last meeting. It was New Year's day… just a few months before she met me. The other me. She was kind, as always, and I told her that it was going to be the best year of her life. I saw her walk away, and I felt pain… I couldn't hold it off any longer. Oods started singing. Vale decem, vale decem, farewell ten. I'm the Tenth Doctor, but my song… it was ending."

He suddenly gasped, tears streaming down his cheek freely. He struggled and thrashed blindly, trying to wrench himself free from the hands of Donna and River.

"It hurts. It hurts so much—I can't, I can't think, I'm burning!"

"What is that?" Amy blurted out, concerned.

"Regeneration," replied Sarah Jane, rather glumly. "It's starting."

The boy's head jerked sideways as his back arched, shuddering violently; he gasped, convulsing, eyes wide. And at that split second, they could see it in his eyes. There was a flash of sudden recognition, surprise, shock, pain—in his deep, brown sorrowful eyes. The eyes, timeless and old as ever.

The Doctor was back in. For a tiny moment, Theta had remembered who he was.

"Doctor?—Doctor!" River cried out, hugging his small form. The Doctor's eyes widened as he stared at her in disbelief and confusion. He was trying to say something, but his body was shaking too much. He shook his head hard, clenching his teeth, trying to steady his body. Donna swooped forth and shook a hand in front of the Doctor's eyes.

"Oi, Spaceman, we've got you. It's alright!"

"Donna? River? Everyone? How— you can't be here! And I, I'm dying, I—" He started in a confused voice, then let out a choked sob. "I'm scared. Is this a hallucination? Oh, what a coward I am."

"It's okay." This time, it was Sarah Jane who spoke up, gently approaching the little boy. "It's not a hallucination. We are here, in the TARDIS, and we've got you. You aren't a coward, Doctor, and it's okay to be scared."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor hung his head, ashamed.

"You shouldn't be, Sunshine." Donna scolded the child, sounding almost exasperated but trying her best to be nice to the Doctor. "Honestly, why do you think you have to apologize? You saved our lives ten times over!"

"And destroyed it, Donna, shattered them into pieces a hundred thousand times." The Doctor shook his head, his face contorted and eyes squeezed shut in pain and guilt. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheek and mingled with tears as he sobbed. "You, all of you—you could have lived ordinary, peaceful, but still, amazing lives if I hadn't come barging in and dragged you into dangerous situations. But I was selfish. I didn't want to be alone. I picked you up like apples from trees because of my own selfish reasons! And how did it end up? It's all my fault. All my fault. And I…!"

He hesitated, his desperate eyes resting on each and all of the other companions who were standing by his side, looking at him with pity in their eyes. Then he whispered.

"And I, I feel so terrible because after all that, I—I still _don't want to go."_

His grip loosened as he lost consciousness. His eyes slowly shut, and his body fell with a soft 'thud' onto the floor. It was over. But as they stared at Theta, peacefully sleeping on the floor like a broken angel, they realized that their broken hearts would take a lot longer to heal and forget.

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

It was so _dark_. Dark and vague.

The pitch-black darkness engulfed him, and he let himself float around in the endless sea of dreams. It was so warm, so comfortable. He didn't want to wake up. Perhaps he could stay here forever and ever and ever…

"Doctor!"

Theta's eyes fluttered open. An old man was peering into his eyes with concern in his eyes. His hand brushed over the young boy's burning forehead.

"Doctor—Theta? Sonny, are you awake? Can you remember what happened?"

Theta frowned groggily and shook his head. No, he couldn't remember why on earth he was feeling so awful. His headache was throbbing, piercing through his temples, making him wince. Ow. It hurt. His vision blurred, and he couldn't make things out clearly. To top things off, his throat was dreadfully parched.

"Wa…_terrrr_. I… _thirsty_." He slurred, closing his eyes tight. Oh dear. Even the light made his eyes hurt like crazy. What was wrong with him? He remembered up to the point when the song began playing, and… and then…

Nothing. Nothing except a chaos of pain and fear and an urge to run away and _weep_.

He shuddered, feeling a horrible chill run down his spine. Wilfred stood up hurriedly.

"Water? Okay, Doctor. Just wait here. Don't move!"

Even if he had wanted to, Theta couldn't have budged an inch at that moment. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and listened to the muffled footsteps, quiet voices discussing something in the hallway—and soon enough, Wilfred Mott returned to the weakened child's side with a cup of water in his hand.

"Drink, son, drink up."

Theta felt a cool edge of the cup being pressed to his lips. He gladly obeyed, gulping the water down. Oh—what a blessing that cool water was to his burning throat!

"Thank you," he whispered, sighing as he lied back down. He snuggled back into the warm blankets, slowly drifting back to sleep. Wilfred sadly watched as Theta slept peacefully. He reached out and ruffled the child's unruly hair.

"Sleep, kid." He murmured. "Have a good dream."

He rose from his seat and left wordlessly. Theta slept on, completely unaware of what was happening around him. He slept and slept and slept, his body in a healing coma.

It took him two full days to wake up, fully recovered. And when he did, he was back to his old, bouncy, cheerful self again. And he didn't remember a thing.

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

A cool breeze swept by. The girl sat under a tree, enjoying the crisp morning air of autumn and listening to the rustling of leaves. She closed her eyes and smiled. She had been to many places, but she was always fond of Earth the best. The planet that her father loved. And so beautiful, too.

She was lost in thought when she heard someone shout at the top of his lungs.

"WATCH OUT!"

She snapped opened her eyes to find a soccer ball flying straight into her face. For most humans, such a thing would have been impossible to catch; it was already too close to the face. For her, however, it was easy. She caught it in one hand, and frown—but the frown melted into an amused smile when she found a tiny blond boy running to her on his short legs, his face almost tearful.

"I—I'm sowwy," he cried out, ducking his head. The girl smiled and ruffled his hair. She crouched in front of the child and handed the ball back. Then she told him in a kind, gentle voice.

"It's okay. Just be careful next time, okay? People can get hurt."

"Okay." He blinked back his tears and grinned. The teenage girl grinned back. She took off her military cap, letting her long golden hair flow down her back. Tying it into a tight ponytail, she asked.

"What's your name?"

"My name's Jamie. Jamie Latimer." He peered up at her curiously. "And you? What were you doing here? Funny. I thought I saw a blue police box here, but when I came running, it was just you."

"My name is Jenny," she replied, ignoring the latter part of the comment, but trying to not sound rude. "Just… Jenny."

And after a pause, she continued—

"I am waiting for my father."

**A/N: BADABOOM! Read and Review for the next chapter. Reviews keep me going! And this story is a 'Reunion Paradox', it just felt natural to me that Jenny plays an important role in the plot :) This chapter was a bit of an angst, because of Theta's fleeting flashbacks, but mostly, this story sticks to humor. And Theta will be so energetic that he goes jumping off windows in the next chapter. (Literally!) So don't worry.**

**Q&A open! **


	7. Remember Rule One

**A/N: Theta Sigma is the de-aged, amnesic Doctor. His personality takes after all his past incarnations, but the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor-ness are the most frequently displayed ones. And ooh, look, all his companions are looking after him! Fluff, humor and rudeness abound :)**

**Thank you for all your love and support, Momo Spock, Anaika Skywalker, shadowknight7580, Shadowdragon1317, dm1, Fall Out Bones Girl, Cure Eclipse, mp22mp22, Angelic915, Person, and Guest. Love yah! Let's begin, then!**

**Chapter 7**

**Remember Rule One**

_Morning_

Donna bustled into the room with a silver tray in her hand. Jack, Rory, Amy and River also came in, chatting away quite briskly. Theta was sitting upright in his bed, propped against his pillows. He looked comfortable enough.

"Good morning!" He flashed a toothy grin, waving happily at them. Donna smiled, pulling a stool over and promptly sat down. She handed him the tray.

"Good morning, Theta. Here's your corn soup for breakfast!"

She beamed, handing the boy a bowl of delicious, steaming soup—upon which he immediately wrinkled his nose. He took a sniff, and looked up with pleading eyes.

"No custard?"

"No custard," Donna said firmly. "Come on, Spaceman! Custard cream is for dessert and snack only. And they are definitely not meant to be eaten with fish fingers, frozen bananas or _jelly babies_!"

"Awwww…" Theta whined, but dutifully drank his bowl of soup. After finishing it, he wiped his cream-laced mouth with his sleeve and muttered under his breath, "Stupid humans and their prejudice."

"What?" River asked back, raising her eyebrow in amusement. Theta—who didn't know that River Song was part Time Lord, and obviously didn't expect anyone to hear his snarky comment—startled and began shaking his head fervently, his eyes wide as a puppy.

"N—no, no, no, no! I didn't say anything, really! Nada! Nope!"

"Hmm?" Amy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She turned her gaze at River, then at Theta, and then back to River. "River, what did he say? Tell me."

"Oh, nothing," the woman mouthed innocently. She turned to Theta, took a brief glance at her watch, and winked at him.

"I'm sorry, gotta dash. I promised to meet an old friend of mine at the café. I'll be back in an hour, sweetie."

"Oh, all right," Theta pouted, but still waved goodbye for her.

"Be back soon!" He called after her as she left hurriedly. River smiled and blew him a kiss, then disappeared from their sight. Rory and Amy, too, followed Donna out to have their breakfast downstairs, leaving Jack and Theta alone in the room. Silence ensued.

"…Boring." Theta sighed, his fingers incessantly drumming against his lap—but suddenly, his eyes lit up as a new idea occurred to him. He began tugging Jack's sleeve rather eagerly.

"Jack! Jack! Can I go out and play?"

"Play?" Jack asked, puzzled. "Play with whom?"

"Oh, the human children, of course!" The young Doctor was practically bouncing with excitement. "I've never seen human children—at least, as far as I remember. I bet they will be wonderful! Plus, it's too boring in here. _Pleeeease,_ Jack?"

"Well…" Jack felt bad, really bad, staring into those begging eyes of Theta, but he had no choice. He shook his head heavily. "I don't think that's a good idea, Theta."

Theta's face fell immediately.

"…Why?" He asked, his voice the very image of disappointment and sadness.

"Because to us humans, your body—a Time Lord's body is a miracle. A cup of your blood could change history," Jack said slowly and seriously, gazing straight into the child's big brown eyes. "You might not understand, but there are very, very bad people and crazy men that would want to abduct you, torture you, use you for experiments and such—and when you were the Doctor, you could defend yourself. Now you are not. I'm sorry, Theta; we can't take risks. We don't know what might happen. I can't allow any harm come to you."

Theta's shoulders were still slumped. Jack fidgeted nervously, but continued in a brighter voice.

"You know, Thete, Mickey and Martha will bring a biodamper from UNIT tomorrow. If you put that on, it will cover your signals and make you safe. Then we will go out and play! How about that? I'll make it a _really_ fun day for you. I promise."

"…Oh." Theta contemplated for a second, then brightened up again. He shrugged and said, "Well, there isn't any choice, is there? I understand. You are doing all this for me, so… what I'm saying is, it's all right with me!"

"Good boy!" Jack grinned and ruffled his hair. "I never knew that the Doctor could be _this_ nice, though."

"Well, that's what the Doctor stands for," Theta giggled playfully, leaning back onto the bed. "Never give up, never give in. He can't help it if he's stubborn."

"Quite right!" The immortal man laughed and stood up, patting the boy in the back. "Just take a nap, rest, get some break. Or do you want me to stay and talk to you?"

"Mmm, actually—" Theta yawned and grinned. "I'm sleepy, Jack. I think nap is a good idea."

"Well then, I won't disturb you, Thete!" Jack laughed and heaved himself up. He affectionately ruffled the little boy's hair once more, winked, and hurried out of the room. He chuckled to himself as he closed the door shut.

The Doctor was eccentric, enjoyable, energetic, but he was quite rude from time to time, and had a tendency of ignoring others or keeping his feelings behind a smiling mask. But this Doctor—the young Theta—had all those quirky, cheerful parts of the Doctor that they loved, and was far more polite, truthful, and openly affectionate.

Oh, he would certainly enjoy his time with this brand new Doctor. River had provided him with a new Vortex Manipulator, which enabled him to stay here for the time being and go to Torchwood immediately if something terrible should happen.

Whistling, he happily marched down the stairs. Other people were having breakfast downstairs, and he thought he might as well join them, and help himself to some bread and butter.

_**DWDWDWDWDW**_

…Wait. Truthful? Of course not.

Rule One.

The Doctor Lies.

Theta's eyes flew open the moment Jack set a foot on the stairs. For a few seconds, he was completely still, listening intently for someone coming up the stairs to check on him.

All clear.

A crooked smile appeared on his lips as he danced out of the bed, purposefully grabbing a brown coat, a pair of blue jeans and sneakers, a purple shirt and a long blue scarf. He changed into them in the blink of an eye. Having that done, he tiptoed to the closet, and carefully combed his silky brown hair.

He frowned into the mirror as he found out that his hair had the weirdest tendency to stick up on all sides, like a crazy bedhead or something, in spite of all his combing. He thought for a moment, then simply shrugged the thought aside. Oh well. If it couldn't be helped, then so be it.

"A-ha. I knew it!"

Theta grinned, lifting his thick carpet and discovering the Sonic Screwdriver that River had hidden underneath. Holding the familiar device in his hand, he skipped over to the window. He dragged the stool along with him. Pausing briefly, he pointed his screwdriver at the bedroom door, locking it with a simple 'click'. Then he pointed it at the window, making it swing open. He grinned, amazed at his own abilities.

"Oooh, perfect!"

Humming, he pulled the stool closer, clambered onto it, and swung his body over the windowsill. At first he had been awkward with his moves, a stranger in his own body; now that he adjusted, he was nothing short of an expert. The decreased gravity only made it easier.

Behold.

Here enters Theta Sigma, one of the two worst troublemaking Time Tots in Gallifrey. The most daring, the most mischievous—and _nothing _but predictable.

"One, two…" He waved his hand in a dramatic manner, letting his body sway back and forth over the windowsill. And then he smiled.

"Geromino!"

He jumped.

Out the window and down, down, down he went, screaming in delight. It was three stories high, and he landed on the soft grass with a small 'thud'. His ankles ached and his wrists were sore from the impact, but it seemed to be intact—not a single bone broken or sprained. He winced, shaking his head and legs as he jumped back up. Soon, the pain dissolved, and he whistled.

"Woof, that was a rough ride. But it was worth it. Completely worth it!" Exhaling in relief, he finally took a good look around. It was his first time doing that; the last time he was out in the garden, he was so excited over the possibility of seeing a TARDIS for the first time in his life that he didn't have other this in life.

His face slowly lit up with amazement and disbelief. So green. So blue. So… _lively_.

Theta inhaled deeply, his fingertips tingling with excitement. _I'm on Earth, all right_! Mmmm… cinnamon, humans, rain, wet soil, fresh air, apples, and grass! Applegrass? No. Not applegrass. Just grass, and apple. Seriously, where did he keep getting those ridiculous terms?

He still couldn't understand many things. It looked like his adult self had made a stupid mistake, and his memories were erratic, and he often had flashbacks. But still—this was so _cool_. He was a hero, a true Doctor, brave and wise, traveling far and wide, with his very own TARDIS and a sonic screwdriver! Well… why did he sonic a _screwdriver_?! Freaky. Whatever. He didn't care too much. The important thing was, he was _so_ far away from home; Irving Braxietel, his brother, would be jealous of him. He giggled nervously and wriggled his toes.

Ah, and there were friends. His friends. Much nicer and funnier than the mean kids at the Academy! They really cared for him and stuck to his side—although Jack felt a bit… _wrong_, he didn't quite know why—like a family. Like a real, true family. Hmph, he must be really happy.

On the other hand, there was that fuzzy memory of regeneration. Theta shuddered a bit. Why was he so lonely and desperate in that piece of memory? Where were all his friends at that very moment? He glanced at himself, feeling a bit unsettled at the thought—but it didn't last long. He shook that feeling off, and grinned again. _Focus, Theta. You are on Earth; it's time to have fun!_

He braced and shook himself, then began running.

He ran and ran and ran. The strange gravity made him feel exalted; the exotic greenery and fresh air was all new to him. He laughed out in delight, absorbing all the beauty that surrounded him—when he crashed into a blonde girl.

_**CRASH! **_

Theta was flung backwards from the impact, while the blonde stumbled only a little. He landed on the grass and rubbed his head, a little disoriented.

"Owwww…" He groaned, and looked up as the girl gave him a hand, looking concerned.

"Are you okay?" She said in a slightly apologetic voice. Wow, not annoyed at all? She must be _really_ kind. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming."

"No, it's my fault. I should have been more careful," Theta smiled up at her, taking her hand and heaving himself into a standing position. The older girl smiled back. She was pretty and tall, well-balanced… in short, charming for a human (or so he thought). Her golden ponytail was quite long, long enough to reach her elbows, and, and…

Theta frowned.

Hmm, that was weird.

The moment he set his eyes on her, he was momentarily overwhelmed with a torrent of emotions, just like when he set his eyes on River Song for the first time, back in Donna's living room.

Grief. Sorrow. Loss. Regret. Loneliness. Joy. Pride. Amazement. Love, and warmth… just like a family. A real family. He felt this strange feeling that he suddenly had a lot to do, like, like…

'An awful lot of running to do,' he thought absent-mindedly, grinning at the familiar catchphrase. Irving, his brother, would always talk about such things.

Jenny studied him curiously. Theta fidgeted nervously under her scrutinizing stare, but it was she who held out a hand and introduced herself first.

"My name is Jenny, aged… well, I think I should say seventeen, to make things simple. I travel around all the time, just like my father does. And you?"

She smiled reassuringly, and with that, all doubt and uneasiness disappeared from Theta's mind. Traveling—when she looked so young! Wow, she was cool. Super cool. That was _so _impressive. He took her hand and shook it, a playful smile tugging at his lips. His childish mind had already forgotten Jack's warning to be careful.

So he said,

"My name is Theta Sigma, but you can call me the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord, I come from the planet Gallifrey of Kasterboros, I'm supposed to be over a thousand years old, thank you very much, but I think I was de-aged and lost some of my memory. Nice to meet you, Jenny. Is there any problem?"

Theta smiled innocently.

And Jenny's eye widened.

….Oh.

**A/N: Sorry, it was a short chapter, but I'm updating fast, so I believe you will forgive me:) R&R please! It's 3 a.m. in South Korea! Encourage meeee!**


	8. Father's Day

**A/N: OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU dm1, Cure Eclipse, Shadowdragon1317, Momo Spock, Anaika Skywalker, Fall Out Bones Girl, Angelic 915! Thanks for all your lovely reviews! :) Okay, let's just get on with the story! **

**Chapter 8**

**Father's Day**

_Some 18,000 light years away… _

"General Saaxtel, sir! May you bring glory to your house!"

A voice thundered over the whirring noise of the Sontaran fleet engine. Saaxtel turned to look at the owner of the voice, his frown firm and stern, as always. His voice was a deep baritone.

"Commander Tak. May you honorably die in battle! What brings you here?"

Tak straightened up and saluted the General, taking off his helmet.

"Sir, the Signal Detector picked up traces of erratic Huon Energy spikes."

"Which indicates?"

"The Doctor and his TARDIS, sir."

General Saaxtel's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained composure. Immediately turning around, he paced over to the huge screen of the main computer, his metallic armor suit making heavy clanking sounds with every step.

"Show me the Doctor," he demanded in a booming voice. The screen flickered and turned on, displaying a blue hologram. It was a set of eleven different faces—that belonged to one man. The Doctor. After the failed ATMOS project, he had been classified as 'Enemy of the Sontarans, Code Red' in the database.

The sole surviving Time Lord. A fearsome warrior who put an end to the Time War by destroying his own people. An enemy, an Oncoming Storm, a Lonely God… the last of his own kind.

He would be the most honorable enemy to kill. The Final Victory of the Sontarans.

"Trace the signals. Locate the Doctor," he commanded, facing the Commander again. "Prepare, for the great war is coming in the name of the Empire's glory. Sonta-ha!"

Tak snapped a salute.

"_Sonta-ha!"_

_**DWDWDWDWDW**_

_And meanwhile in the kitchen…_

"Okay. So," Jack waved his fork, chewing a piece of toast. "The Doctor changes faces every time he dies. That's called regeneration. And the first time I met him, he was on his Ninth Incarnation; Donna, Martha, Wilfred—the Tenth. And the Ponds got along with the Eleventh. Right?"

"Pretty much, yeah, that sums it up." Martha nodded. Rory scowled and muttered under his breath.

"Can't everybody just stop calling us the Ponds? It's _Williams_, not Pond!"

"Nope, never," Amy smirked, helping herself to some eggs. Wilfred chuckled. Jack finished his sausage and leaned back on his chair in a comfortable fashion. He grinned and went on with his rambling.

"And the Ninth Doctor had big ears and a manic grin. The Tenth Doctor had big hair and a manic grin. The Eleventh Doctor—a big chin and a manic grin!"

"Oooh, sharp analysis. I think I see the light!" Mickey pretended to be surprised, and everyone burst into a merry laughter.

"Shut up, Mickey Mouse," Jack retorted playfully.

"And now comes the big question," Amy leaned forward, and Jack suddenly pursed his lips. A sudden tension took hold of the room as the two of them wordlessly glared at each other, the very picture of dead seriousness. Finally, it was Amy who spoke first.

"He can't."

"He can." Jack said through clenched teeth.

"_He can't_."

"HE CAN!" Jack hollered, jumping up from his seat. Amy, being a Scottish redhead, leaped up, too. She stomped her foot, infuriated.

"He is a _terrible _dancer!"

"He is great!" Jack argued back, unfazed. "He waltzed with Rose on the TARDIS, I saw it!"

"He danced like a _bloody drunken giraffe at my wedding_!" Mimicking the Doctor's signature dance, Amy stubbornly stood her ground. "Are you saying that he deteriorated or something?"

Yes, of course. The big question of the Universe wasn't 'Doctor Who'. This was much, much more important. When this question was asked, silence couldn't possibly fall. It was 'whether the Doctor could dance well or not'. Of course, it _had_ to be that one. Huh. Very funny.

Martha couldn't suppress the giggles that was bubbling up inside her. Others couldn't too. Amy was still frozen in her infamous giraffe dance pose. Three—two—one.

And everyone burst out laughing their heads off. Oh, this was good. It was a peaceful, sunny morning. Donna stormed into the kitchen, scolding all of them in a loud voice.

"Now, why on earth are you arguing about the Doctor's _dancing skills_ in my kitchen? Didn't I mention that such trivial stuff could be reset during the regeneration process? Oh, hi, River!"

"Hello, Donna," River laughed, trying to tame her wild curly hair as she entered the kitchen. "Told you I'd be right back! Where's Sarah?"

"Sarah Jane is phoning Luke, making sure he's alright and not making any more trouble. She also has some things to discuss with Mr. Smith, the computer," Martha replied. River hummed, nodding. She took a seat at the sofa. A few minutes passed in calm and peace.

Looking back up, she frowned at a strange nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. It took her some time—a few seconds—to realize what was disturbing her mind.

Oh.

Her head snapped up as she asked—

"Where is the Doctor?"

"He said that he was sleepy. He promised that he would be nice and that he would take a nap!" Wilfred shrugged, unconcerned. River's eyes widened_. Oh, no, no, no, no. Tell me that it's not real._

"And no one's watching him?" Her voice rose in alarm as she sprang up from the chair. If Theta was really and truly the Doctor at heart—her Doctor—there was no way that he would stay still. Lying? No problem, too. Remember Rule One? He always lied.

"He slept three days in a row and _agreed to take a nap_! What were you guys thinking?!" Ignoring others' stares and shouts, she rushed up the stairs to Theta's bedroom. Mickey and Martha, being a soldier, came right at her heels. Huffing and out of breath, she abruptly brought herself to a stop in front of the young Doctor's room. She turned the doorknob. Her heart sank.

The door was locked. _Sonic_ locked.

"Oh no, Doctor, please, _please_ tell me that you aren't doing something utterly reckless again." Martha murmured, eyeing the door wearily. River said nothing, just whipped out her own Sonic Screwdriver and scanned the door. _Rule One_, she repeated to herself.

The doorknob unlocked with a 'click'. She swung the door open.

The room was empty.

_Of course._

_**DWDWDWDWDW**_

Jenny's eyes widened in surprise.

"It's you," she breathed. "It's really you! I mean, is that you? Oh, what am I saying?"

"Excuse me?" Theta stammered, shifting on his feet rather uneasily. Uh-oh. Did he say something wrong? Jack's warning rang in his ears a second too late. Or, maybe—

"I knew it. _I KNEW IT_!" The blond girl was jumping with excitement. Literally. She ruffled Theta's hair, whooped, grabbed his hands and danced round and round and round. Laughing.

"Ever since I woke up, I've been running and running and _running. _With my spaceship and a Vortex Manipulator. I was busy saving planets, battling enemies and jumping through time and space—but I never gave up looking for you. I was searching, always, I swear! And then—ah! So this was why I was sent here, then, huh? Oh, look how _adorable_ you are! I never imagined that you could be smaller than me. This is really weird. But it's okay, Doctor, it will be okay!"

"Ummm…" Theta squirmed uncomfortably, being squashed in Jenny's smoldering hug. After much struggles and effort to break free, his head finally popped up, and he stared at her in genuine shock.

"You have two hearts?" He whispered in awe. Jenny laughed in delight and amusement.

"Of course I do!"

"Then you are… a Time Lady." Theta continued in a hushed, awed voice. Familiar. The girl's face was so familiar. And the overwhelming emotions… two hearts… he thought hard, trying to remember what he had forgotten. All of a sudden, a piece of memory flashed back to him; he was a tall man with a long brown coat and wild hair, and tears were flowing down his cheek. Jenny was in his arms. Shot. Hurt. Dying. Martha and Donna, watching him with great sorrow in his eyes.

_Jenny, be strong now. You need to hold on, you hear me? We've got things to do, you and me. Hey! Hey! We can go anywhere, everywhere. You choose._

That sounds good.

_You're my daughter, and we've only just got started. You're going to be great. You're going to be more than great. You're going to be amazing._

Dad…

_Two hearts. Two hearts like me. If we wait, we just wait… _

The heart stopped. Dead. Gone. Lost forever. Weeping. Crying. Angry. Again.

_No. Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me._

No. No, no, no, no. Theta's jaw quivered. He looked up.

"And I know you. You are, you are…"

"Of course you do, _dad_!" Jenny smiled. "Now you remember me? Huh? Alive and breathing?"

She hugged him tight, and this time, he didn't complain. Not a word. The sole piece of memory—him, holding her daughter, begging her to not die and crying, so full of sorrow—left him many questions unanswered, but he didn't waste any time on that. Instead, he just slowly let his head rest against her, feeling her warmth, hearing her heartbeat. Four beats, just like his.

His daughter. She's alive, he thought, a sudden rush of dizziness overcoming his mind. _Alive, she is alive_!

"Jenny! Oh, Jen!"

Theta laughed out loud and burst into tears, hugging his daughter that he knew not, in disbelief and joy. She laughed with him, hugging him back. A family reunited over time and space, against all odds. A fully-grown, eight-year-old progenated daughter, and a millennium old father who was younger than his daughter. The strangest father and daughter in the universe, and they were standing there, on Earth, laughing and crying to each other's warmth.

They stood like that for some time, letting the fresh autumn breeze and a shower of warm sunlight wash over them.

Finally, Jenny opened her eyes and slowly pulled back. Theta was sound asleep, probably tired from the sudden rush of emotions and memory. She smiled and laid him down on the grass, observing him up close. A lock of brown hair softly fell onto his cheek, and she brushed it back, smiling.

Oh, sure, he was so cute, but she could clearly see the resemblance between this little boy and the Doctor. _I'm getting good blackmail today, dad_, she grinned, and glanced up. Maybe she should move him. They couldn't stay here forever. She listened carefully, trying to find out the direction in which she should go. Oh, there. Yes, that would be good.

With a sigh, she heaved the boy up onto her back, and started walking.

_**DWDWDWDWDW**_

"Hurry! We have to find him before he gets himself into a dangerous situation!" Martha ordered. "The Huon Energy signal, Mickey? Are you done yet?"

"Still tracking!" Mickey shouted back. River was muttering something incessantly, staring intently into her Sonic Screwdriver. Sarah was trying to reboot her K-9; Amy and Rory were arguing loudly, making theories of the Doctor's whereabouts. Wilfred was phoning his friends, asking about a young, brown-haired boy—obviously, it wasn't as easy as it had been before to find the Doctor.

Jack was pacing about, swearing under his breath. _Damn it, Doctor_, he thought furiously. _Why do you always have to run off on your own? Never changes, do you? _

Oh, it was chaos. Utter and complete chaos. Donna angrily turned around and stared into the computer screen, where irregular energy signals were displayed. Mickey was still analyzing it, but her half-Time Lord brain worked faster than a machine could.

_But_… She frowned. Those patterns, it looked like its source was getting closer—

The door swung open. Everybody turned and gaped.

A tired-looking blond girl was standing there, carrying a sound asleep Theta on her back. Martha stopped abruptly, shock and confusion evident on her face. Donna's eyes widened.

"Donna! Look, that's—"

"Oh my," Donna breathed. "Yes. Yes, it is!"

"Who's that girl?" Rory asked, exhaling heavily. "Is she… safe?"

At that moment, Jenny took the chance to take a good look around the utterly silent room. Her face cracked into a cheerful grin when she found Martha and Donna—another two familiar faces she was fond of, and knew well.

"_Oh my god_. Donna! Martha! I can't believe it. This is the best day of my life!"

"_JENNY_! That's you?! You were _ALIVE_?" Donna exclaimed, running forth and embracing Jenny in full force. Martha joined them, but took a brief examination of the Doctor first.

"Regular heartbeat, breathing normal, no fever, no problem at all." She announced after a few tense seconds. People sighed in relief. "Just another flashback, that's all. And I don't think that it was a bad one—he looks content enough. Can't stay still for once, can you, Doctor?"

Donna let out a brief laughter and shrugged.

"I think familiar faces are doing some good in restoring his timeline. Anyway, Jenny! How on earth did you pop out of thin air, Sunshine? You aren't a Slitheen in disguise, are you?"

"Nope!" Jenny flashed a merry grin at her, and Donna gave a playful little slap on her back, laughing along. However, other former companions were still hopelessly confused, and being one of them, Jack stepped forward. He flirtatiously kissed the blond girl's hand before anyone could stop him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss. If you would introduce yourself—"

"Stop it, Jack," Theta mumbled in his sleep. "She's off limits."

Jenny giggled, and Jack stepped back reluctantly, groaning.

"Of all the charming memories he has about me, _that's_ the first to come back? _Off limits_? It's not fair. Why is he all so protective about you?" He muttered. Martha rolled her eyes, amused.

"_I_ think it's fair. After all, you just kissed the Doc's daughter."

Silence for a split second. And then—

Explosion.

"I— WHAT?!" Jack yelled, jumping three feet into the air. "I never knew he had it in him!"

"Oh, shut up, Captain!" Donna scolded him, giving another slap in the back, ginger-style. Wilfred's mouth dropped open, and Amy's eyes were open wide. Really wide. Sarah Jane was frowning, K-9 was carefully registering the girl, and Rory was rendered speechless. Jenny watched, amused, then spoke up.

"Eight years ago, on planet Messaline, a group of soldiers took a tissue from the Doctor's hand and put it in a progenation machine. That's me!" She announced proudly. "Generated anomaly—in short, 'Jenny', the Doctor's sort-of daughter. Aww, I never knew dad could be so cute. I'm going to absolutely _love _this."

"You don't look that shocked," Donna commented, promptly ignoring others, who were openly gaping at them. "It took us ages to get over it!"

Jenny shrugged nonchalantly. "I was a bit surprised, too, at first; I was all like, 'that's dad?!'—but I _had_ been told that he had an accident in the Time Vortex and he would need my help beforehand, so I wasn't _too_ shocked. I was kind of… expecting something similar. Actually, that was why I was sent here, I see. Got picked up right from the Akhaten marketplace and dropped off on Earth! Mind you, _that_ was shocking."

The room fell deadly silent. Jenny, upon noticing the eerie atmosphere, looked around, frowning in confusion.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"…Who sent you here, Jenny?" Martha finally managed to open her mouth and ask, feeling apprehensive. Who else knew the Doctor's current situation? Who would want to help them? Who knew Jenny was alive, not to mention where to find her? Who had the technology to travel between planets like it was nothing? Was it a scheming enemy? Or an unexpected friend?

And when Jenny finally answered—frowning—it was something wholly unexpected. Something their ears couldn't believe.

"The Doctor."

**A/N: ****Now, things will get more exciting than ever. Sontaran invasion, something from Gallifrey, and everyone coming together! ****Did you know that the Doctor has a brother called Irving Braxietel? Look him up… Bah, whatever. Spoilers! But I love him!**

**Never mind. Oh, I can't wait to write the Wilf/Theta father-and-son bonding part, or the Ponds, or Jenny, or River, or Jack—I love them all so much! Thank you for reading, and please… Review! Bye! **


	9. Trust Us, We Are the Doctors

**A/N: Oh my. Crappy. This chapter is so crappy. I hate this chapter… AND WHY ARE YOU GUYS ALL ASKING FOR ROSE?! Okay. Never mind. I was going to do it anyway. Here she comes! **

****

Chapter 9

**Trust us, We Are the Doctor**

_Akhaten._

It was a beautiful place, and she just loved the marketplace. After parking her spaceship somewhere safe, she went and exchanged a basket of blue, juicy fruits that she especially liked with a hat from the Planet of Hats.

Jenny hummed, tossing the fruit into the air. She caught it one-handed and bit into it. Mmm, it was good. People were bustling about everywhere; oh, how she loved this energy, this life that they exhibited! She only wished that her father was with her, laughing along and running.

Her father. The Doctor.

While traveling, Jenny had done some research on him. The Last Remaining Time Lord, always jumping through time and space—and it was highly unlikely that out of all time and universe, they would somehow miraculously bump into each other. Nope, they wouldn't be able to find each other that easily. Jenny shook her head rather regretfully.

Which was exactly what happened.

"What?!" Jenny's jaw dropped open when she saw a blue police box materializing with a faint 'vrooping' sound out of thin air. Yes, right in front of her. _Really, what? Seriously? _All these years—eight years to be exact—she had been searching for her father, and then he chooses to pop up right in front of her at a random timing!

Jenny stood, frozen, till the door swung open and a man with floppy hair popped his head out. He looked around, and when he spotted Jenny standing right in front of him, a manic grin spread on his face. He leapt out and towered over Jenny.

"Well, if this isn't my amazing daughter! Ah! Missed me, Jen? It's been a very long time, well, not for me, but for you—anyway!" He grinned cheerfully again, pulling a dumbfounded Jenny to the TARDIS. "Oh. I see why you are confused! You don't recognize me! Hello, this is the Doctor calling, also known as your father! Do you remember me? You've heard about regeneration? Huh? Time Lord tricks, cheating death or something— I've died, Jen, and I changed faces, and maybe a little bit of personality, too, but I'm still your father. Now, there isn't much time. Get aboard! Oh, _no, no, no, no_!"

He groaned in annoyance and rushed to the console as the Cloister Bell began ringing.

"See, this is why there isn't much time. Ten minutes, that's all we have; if you stay on the TARDIS more than that, the Universe will implode—hole the size of Belgium—suit yourself. But that's more than enough!"

"Dad…"

"Don't worry, I can't fix this. Well, not really, but it should stop when it lands—ah, now it works!" The Doctor made the door close with a snap of his fingers and turned on the engines. Blue light flooded the console room as the TARDIS dematerialized, making that familiar whooshing noise again, and began hurtling through the Time Vortex. Having finished that, he grinned and spun on the spot, facing Jenny.

"How about _that_?"

"What? Well, dad, how about _this_?"

_WHAM! _

Jenny's punch landed on her father's face with the force of a soldier. He yelped and pulled back, eyeing his daughter with confusion. Jenny stomped up to him, huffing angrily. _This_ wasn't how she had pictured the reunion. Confusing like mud! So she, of course, being Jenny, yelled at her father in a demanding voice, her eyes flashing angrily.

"Dad, you are driving me _crazy_! Could you care to explain what you are talking about? Why did you kidnap me? Where are we going? And why _aren't_ you surprised to see that I'm alive, as if you had known it all along?!"

The Doctor stared at her for a second, then seemed to snap out of it. He jumped back up, holding up his hand in a defensive pose, calming down a bit.

"Right. I'm sorry, so sorry. Explanations first. Okay, how should I explain… oh, this is complicated."

He paced about, rubbing his palms together in an exaggerated manner. He turned to Jenny, clapped, and pointed at himself.

"First things first! You believe I'm the Doctor, right? Some people do have problems getting over the face-change regeneration shock. Happens to the best of us."

Jenny rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"Yeah, it's pretty much obvious. I did do some research, dad. Rambling, a manic grin, the TARDIS, weird fashion sense—that definitely matches you."

"Ouch. Weird fashion sense? Bowties are cool, Jen!" He righted his bowtie, arguing back in an indignant voice. But when Jenny arched her eyebrows at this, he cowered back, clearly remembering the not-so-pleasant greeting punch from her. Seriously, why did everyone have to slap and/or punch him every once in a while? He rubbed his face self-consciously, scowling a bit.

"Anyway! I'm taking you back to Earth, and I've got to do it quick, well, because, to make a long story short— if two same people are in the same place at the same time, temporal paradoxes will be created, and Universe implodes, like, timey-wimey, spacey-wacey, wibbly-wobbly—_Boom_," He motioned with his hand.

Jenny was still frowning. It didn't make sense. Actually, she didn't know what to make of this stranger who was supposed to be… _her dad._ It almost felt surreal. Maybe it was why she wasn't hugging him, or crying in amazement and happiness of finding her family at long last. She simply couldn't process it through.

Ignoring Jenny's apparent lack of response, the Doctor flailed about the console, constantly tinkering with this and that, until he happened to reach the bars. He leaned over and shouted at someone down below.

"Jen! Come and see yourself and say hello!"

"Okay, dad. Coming!"

An all-too-familiar voice called back, and she could hear someone climbing up the ladders. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

Her own face was grinning back at her.

"Hi! You're me, right? Oh, this is awkward. Do we have to do this?" She glanced at the console as the Cloister Bell started trilling sharply. "Oh, I think I gotta go. The TARDIS doesn't like two of us being together, I guess. Bye!"

After waving her laser spanner cheerfully, she climbed down the ladders and popped out of sight. The Doctor turned toward Jenny, who was rendered speechless from shock, and smiled apologetically.

"Well, you just saw your future. Nothing much," he waved his hand impatiently. "The thing is, _look_, Jen, I know it's confusing, but just _listen!_ In the past, my past, I had an accident in the Time Vortex, which resulted in… something very, very embarrassing. You and Jack teased me for ages!"

He shook his head and laughed. "I was stranded on Earth, being helped out by my friends—when you came along and did so many amazing things for me. You are the reason I'm here, and I can never stop thanking you for that. And it's also why I knew that you were alive. I'm sorry to push you into this mess so abruptly, but I promise, you'll enjoy it a lot. Help me, Jenny. Help the _past me._"

He gazed at Jenny with his brown, pleading eyes. "Will you?"

She stood there, frowning and thinking. Hard. Everything was still very confusing, but she vaguely began to realize what was happening. This was a future version of the Doctor, her father, and his past was having some trouble. The usual complications that came with time traveling. And her help was… crucial.

So, of course, being Jenny, she simply shrugged and looked up, finally flashing a smile.

"Okay. So, what should I do?"

_**DWDWDWDWDW**_

"I fixed the engine!" Donna ran into the console room, waving her hand proudly. Jenny—the Jenny that had been through everything—was giggling, too. The Doctor was, as usual, tinkering around the controls. He glanced up, brushing back his floppy hair. Donna stopped abruptly, finally seeing what the Doctor had in his hand. She frowned.

"Oi, Spaceman. What is that?"

"Jelly babies. Bwah." The Doctor grimaced, throwing open the blue door of the TARDIS. He flung the bag of jelly babies into the stormy Time Vortex. He hollered. "And STAY OUT!"

Turning back to face the two incredulous women, he slammed the door shut and muttered angrily. "I forgot I hated jelly babies! How could I? I've hated it for a few generations! Ugh, I'm really getting old. Or perhaps, it's because of the accident—"

"Oh, you were really cute at the time, weren't you?" Donna teased the Time Lord, who pouted angrily and looked away. "I've never imagined it."

"Good. You shouldn't have." The Doctor grumbled and rubbed his temples. Then, with sudden outburst of energy, he began sprinting down the hallway, shouting. "Now, off to the kitchen! I want to have some bananas. Where are the bananas? Am I having a craving? River, sweetie, have you seen bananas—?"

Jenny watched him for a few seconds as he disappeared, and turned to Donna.

"I ate them all," she whispered secretly, and they tried to stifle their giggles. It was a matter of time before he found out; oh, this was good. Bickering away like the good old times.

"Oi, Jenny, stop making me laugh like a silly old schoolgirl!" Donna laughed and shook her head. "Like father, like daughter. And I was wondering all this time where that catchphrase came from."

"Excuse me? I'm essentially my dad's clone. It's _obvious that I would take after him_!"

"Exactly!" Donna tapped the computer, and then frowned. She turned to Jenny. "By the way, what was the Doctor's advice that was given to you? I mean, the past you. The one that just got dropped off on Earth to take care of Theta. We never heard what it was at that time—one moment you are storming in with that child on your back, scaring us half to death, and look! You suddenly grab River's hand, sprint away to the TARDIS, and dematerialize into thin air! _And _when you did come back, you had brought the worst _ass_ I've ever seen."

"He wasn't an ass, Donna! The Doctor had said that he was the most capable man he knew in the universe; that he had been a 'collaborator in mind and the universe' for him. And he was smarter than my dad. And a thousand times more… ruthless. That made things simpler in the end, didn't it? At least you have to give him _that _much credit. And he is on board at the moment."

"Hmph! Who cares. _I _don't care. _He_ won't care, obviously. He's so _bloody overconfident _all the time. Anyway, the Doctor could have helped himself. After all, what's a time-and-space jumping TARDIS for?" Donna muttered, feeling discontent anyway. Jenny shrugged.

"I don't understand that part that much anyway. But— I think he said that 'People assume that _time_ is a strict progression of cause to effect, but _actually_ from a non-_linear_, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball'. His becoming Theta is a fixed point, but he can't dare tamper with what happened afterwards, because 'the happy ending' was _not a_ fixed point. Timey-wimey… it's complicated," she tilted her head, frowning. "But I think we should let it flow on."

"Okay, I get the point—after all, I'm DoctorDonna. So we should stand back and watch them run, time and space, all right." Donna took a brief glance at the corridors. "And I think maybe it's time for us to run, too."

"What?" Jenny whipped around, raising her eyebrows. Then she realized. "Oh."

"WHO ATE MY BANANAS? JENNY, _WHERE ARE MY BANANAS_—?!"

"Time to run," they mouthed to each other, and began running. Laughter, shouts, yells, shrieks, and finally, giggles and some harmless bickering. Yes, just a normal day on the TARDIS all right.

But as she was running round and round, ducking the assaults of her furious, banana-craving father, a thought hit her mind. Oh, she had forgot to tell Donna—but before they, River and she, brought the Doctor's 'helper', they had made a visit to someone. Someone the Doctor recommended.

His very own duplicate, in another universe, and his Rose Tyler.

_**DWDWDWDWDW**_

_It was morning. Another morning in the parallel universe._

_John Tyler, also known as the Doctor in this world, rubbed his eyes and pushed his temples, groaning. He had a headache. An awful headache. It was somebody was calling out to his mind, drumming against his mental barriers, trying to reach him. He glanced sideways. _

_There was Rose, his beautiful Rose, sleeping peacefully; next to her was their newborn son. Their perfectly human son. He was playing with the piece of coral, the one that the Doctor had given them. It had grown to the size of a mini TARDIS; soon they will be able to travel time to time again. Hopefully._

_He planted a loving kiss against Rose's cheek and murmured. "Morning, sweetheart."_

_Rose opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Hi." _

_It had been six years since they had been left in the parallel universe. He spent some time struggling with the idea of being left without a TARDIS; but now, he (and miraculously, Jackie, too) could proudly say that he was quite good at adjusting to domestics. Making a family, having a job, caring. Settling down._

_His initial anger that the original Doctor had despised and called 'dangerous' was still there, bubbling just beneath the surface. After all, he _had_ killed all the Time Lords. And he wasn't even the real Doctor. Not ever. Every time he thought about it, a familiar surge of anger rose inside him. Despair. _

Unfair.

_But Rose… Rose kept it at bay. She knew exactly what to say, in such moments. She knew how to lull the Oncoming Storm back to sleep. And then he would smile again, the dark storm _

_But today… today was strange. Different._

_He felt the prodding urge to leap out of bed, and just run, run, _run_. Just like the old times. Someone was calling out to him. Someone was calling for a—a Doctor. His stomach churned with an unknown feeling._

"_What's the matter, Doctor?" Rose asked, worriedly. He glanced down, and smiled to reassure her. No. It was just a fleeting feeling. It should have been. It was okay. He was okay. _

"_No need to worry! Just the Time Lord part of me wanting to wander here and there—"_

_He began cheerfully, but abruptly stopped, his eyes wide. A voice. A voice was in his head. Calling out. Calling out for him. But it was impossible. No, beyond impossible. It was nonsense…_

"_Doctor? John?" Rose tried again, moving forward with concern in her eyes. It was only then that the Doctor realized that he was kneeling down, clutching his head and breathing heavily. But he didn't care. All he was listening to was that voice. That familiar voice that he would never forget. _

Dad.

_He knew her._

Dad!

_He knew the owner of that voice. _

_Dad, we need you! Can you hear me? Can you follow this voice?_

"Jenny," John Tyler, the human Doctor of the parallel universe, whispered, finally realizing who it was.

His daughter was calling for him.

**A/N: I promised! Tentoo and Jenny will be talking over the hologram screen, like Rose and the Doctor did at the Bad Wolf Bay. I'll explain how they are doing it on the next chapter. But hey, I couldn't resist allowing Tentoo to know that he didn't destroy Gallifrey, after all :) **

**Also big thanks to Angelic915, Fall Out Bones Girl, Momo Spock, Anaika Skywalker, Shadowdragon1317, Cure Eclipse, RandomW, Lili, GriffinGirl 8655! You are the ones who waited. You keep me going :)**

**And a bad news…**

**School's starting, I'm busy, my mom doesn't even know that I watched Doctor Who, she'll kill me, and I'm writing in secret in the middle of the night, I'm scared and having a nervous breakdown—in short,**

**Updates may be delayed. I'm sorry, forgive me :( But still, kindly leave a Review. That'll make me return faster! Have a good day! (Runs away.)**

And another sneak peek:

_"Who is it, dad? The one you need?"_

_"His name is Irving Braxietel. Cardinal Braxietel."_

_A pause._

_"He is my brother."_


	10. The Doctor's Brother

**A/N: I'm finally BACK! And I thank you for encouraging me, you wonderful reviewers: RandomW, hatsoff, Fall Out Bones Girl, Angelic 915, Anaika Skywalker, GriffinGirl8655, Shadowdragon1317, dm1, Cure Eclipse! :) Let's start! **

**Chapter 10**

**The Doctor's Brother**

_Bad Wolf Bay. _

Rose had never imagined that she would have to come back. Come back and stand here. Although she loved her John Tyler more than anyone in the world, a part of her did miss her Doctor. The man with a manic grin and a blue box.

It hurt to remember, remember saying goodbye to the Doctor. But she couldn't let John go off on his own. His eyes were as dark as a stormy night, like in his worst moments in life, but yet, they were alight with hope. He had insisted to go, like a haunted man; and she would never let him feel alone, especially in times like this.

Oh.

Her heart stuttered as a blue hologram zoomed up from nowhere in particular. As it became clearer and clearer—she saw a woman with wild, curly hair and a blond, ponytail girl looking into the screen with wide eyes.

"Dad? Oh, this is weird. It's like talking to the TV, River!"

"Jenny, we don't have much time. The supernovas burn out in twenty minutes."

"Okay, then. Hi, dad! You can hear me, right?"

_Dad_? Rose briefly wondered, but John took a step forward, staring into the screen.

"River?" He breathed. "Jenny? But… how?"

The words '_you died_'' died on his lips, but they seemed to understand it all the same. They grinned and waved together, trying to cheer up the rather shocked, pale man.

"Cheers, dad! We are alive! I woke up on Messaline a few minutes after you left. Oh… wait. You were born from his right hand, right? And I was, too! Does that make us… siblings?" Jenny scrunched her nose in confusion. "Ew. That's _definitely_ weird."

"_Focus_, Jenny. Oh, and the Doctor saved me from the Library! Actually, that's why we are here. To see you, Doctor, and your Rose." River leaned into the screen and smiled.

_The reason they were here_? Rose tilted her head in confusion. Jenny spotted her, and cheerfully waved again.

"Oh, you're Rose Tyler, right? Nice to meet you! My dad—I mean, my world's Doctor—missed you a lot! But it has been a few centuries for him—"

"What?" Rose raised her voice in disbelief. A few _centuries_?! But… but it had been only six years for them!

"And he regenerated—"

"_What_?!"

"—and he got through many, many things, made new friends and foes, but he never forgot you, Rose Tyler, the Woman who Counted. Because he's the same man, always, no matter what his face is; he was always running back to us." River finished, smiling fondly at the blond girl. Tears slowly gathered in Rose's eyes.

"He really cares about you, and always will. Don't you forget that."

"Where is he?" She blurted out. John stood by her side, listening quietly, never taking his eyes off the two of them. He nodded.

"Yes. Where is the Doctor?"

Jenny fidgeted. "He… had an accident in the Time Vortex, bombarded with excess Huon Energy, and he got, well, sort of—"

She hesitated, looking uncomfortable. Rose stared at her, startled. Her heart sank. An accident? What could it be? Was it something terrible? Was the Doctor hurt beyond measure? As far as she knew, the last time he absorbed a _piece_ of Time Vortex, he had to regenerate. God knew what would happen if he got drenched in a pure, _massive _dose of Time Energy.

But what Jenny said next was wholly unexpected for both John Tyler and Rose.

"Um, he sort of… got… de-aged!"

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

Theta glared up at Donna defiantly.

Donna glared back.

_The epic glaring battle of history_, Jack thought, wincing.

When Theta came to his senses shortly after Jenny ran off with River in the TARDIS to God-knows-where, Donna had slapped his back for good. And _OUCH_, it _hurt_. Then the ginger started scolding the boy for 'always recklessly driving himself into dangerous situations head-first, and Theta, being the Doctor, began angrily defending himself, saying that '_he should be allowed to tell lies from time to time'_.

Which, of course, infuriated Donna even further.

"And who taught you such _nonsense_?!"

"My older brother! _Brax_!"

"Well, I'm going to beat that _brat_ into pieces if I meet him, Sunshine!"

"He is Brax, not brat! And if you want to beat him, go ahead and try, you _Towering Inferno_." Theta huffed, glaring at the ginger and crossing his arms sternly. He seemed to try to look imposing and threatening, but in that body of his, the pose just looked ridiculously childish. Amy stifled the laughter that threatened to burst out any second.

"He is the smartest Time Lord that I've ever seen!"

"Oh, really? Well, look, I'm Doctor Donna, the smartest human you've ever seen! Duh," Donna scoffed, but they saw her throw her throw a worried glance in the direction of Theta, who was pouting indignantly.

Donna didn't like to let this go that easily; she wanted to drive a 'not lying' policy into the Doc's mind once and for all. But she didn't like where this conversation was going, either. They didn't want to break the news that he, Theta, was the last surviving Time Lord too fast. He wouldn't be able to bear such a burden.

Donna and Sarah Jane quickly exchanged knowing glances.

_Do you want me to change subjects?_

_Oh, that's a good idea._

"So… where did Jenny go? She just rushed in and rushed out with River. And how did the TARDIS disappear?" Sarah Jane gently stepped in and asked lightly, successfully distracting Theta's attention. He frowned, rubbing his back, which was still sore from the infamous Noble slap. Yes. He was wondering about that, too. How did they manage to dematerialize the TARDIS?

Amy eyed them, surprised.

"Oh. You mean you didn't know yet? River can drive the TARDIS. She's better at it than the Doctor, actually."

"What?" They all stared at her, surprised.

"After all, she's our daughter," Amy continued proudly, tilting her head in Rory's way. "And she's a part-Time Lord, married to the Doctor."

"…_WHAT_?!"

—And, eruption, of course. As always.

Amy smiled smugly and sat back down on the couch. Theta was frozen absolutely still from shock, his eyes almost popping out. After all, he was just ten years old, mentally, and he had just found out who his wife was. Rory shut his eyes and groaned in exasperation.

When _on earth_ was this let's-shock-them-into-yelling-their-heads-off pattern going to end?

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

"—So we have a de-aged Doctor at hand, and he can't remember anything," Jenny finished, holding up a picture of Theta Sigma flashing a cheeky grin at the camera. The Duplicate Doctor was speechless, simply gaping at the screen, while Rose had to hold back her giggle. Oh, my. Of all the things… this was so very Doctor-ish. She smiled fondly at the adorable child, and his yet-so-familiar grin. _Oh, Doctor_.

"…This isn't what I've been expecting. Far from it." John groaned, scratching his head. Then he frowned into the screen. "Hold on. You said he lost his memories?"

"Yes. He thinks he is Theta Sigma, but he has been informed that he was the Doctor. Plus, he keeps having flashbacks." River answered, and glanced at the clock. Seven minutes, forty-six seconds left.

John Tyler paced back and forth, his head spinning from the complex calculations. No. Yes. No. Yes! No. No! Maybe. But—… He stopped on the spot, muttering to himself.

"Huon Energy, Time Vortex. Collision with Atron Energy. Fusion. Reverse—? Oh. _Oh_. I get it! Yes, there may be a way to restore his memories."

"Really?" Jenny perked up, grinning eagerly. But John's face was still all too glum. He tilted his head, expressing uncertainty.

"The Chameleon Arch. You know what that is?"

Jenny and River nodded; although they didn't know the exact mechanism, they had at least both heard of it. Seeing them nod, he continued, rubbing his cheek and deep in thought.

"The Arch is designed to construct an intricate net of connections between the TARDIS and the Time Lord. Usually it is used to modify the genes—rebuild cell biology—but it is also used to implant a… a false life story into one's mind."

John paused, and groaned when he saw their utterly confused frowns.

"Oh, _forget_ it. Anyway, the Arch connects the mind directly to the TARDIS. So you should disconnect the wires from the console to prevent it from converting the cell biology of the Doctor to a human_, then_ put it onto his head, and attach the other end of the cords to a psychic being—I mean, someone with telepathic abilities."

He paused and scratched his head.

"Theoretically, even though a Time Lord's mind is well-guarded, the Arch will amplify his brain signals and lift the unconscious mind barrier. That allows the psychic being to penetrate his mind and sort out all the befuddled memories for him. Now, _here'_s the problem. There is…"

He gulped and shut his eyes painfully tight, his jaw shuddering. He whispered in a hoarse, quiet voice.

"There isn't any Time Lord left to help. Not many aliens have as strong psychic abilities as they do, and even less of them are friendly enough to help. There are no Time Lords left… because I…"

His words hung heavily in the air as he choked back an anguished, angry sob. Rose put a sympathetic, consoling hand on his shoulder.

Jenny, however, looked unconcerned. She stared, wide-eyed, at the Meta-Crisis version of her father, and scratched her head rather awkwardly.

"Um, dad?"

John turned to stare at her with angry, tearful eyes.

"You didn't kill the Time Lords. They're alive."

A beat.

"_What_?!" John asked back, his eyes widening impossibly. Rose's hand flew to her mouth, too. Jenny looked at River for help; she didn't know the specifics, and didn't know how to explain it to them. Not to mention that there were only about half a minute left before the supernovas went out, closing the fissure between dimensions forever. Taking a hurried glance at her wristwatch, River rummaged her handbag and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.

"We don't have much time," She said, arching her eyebrows apologetically. "But this is the letter the Doctor from the future wrote to the two of you, and we may be able to transmit this to you just in time. Well then, I guess the time's up. Good bye, Sweetie. It was nice to meet you."

River smiled, and Jenny grinned alongside.

"Bye, dad! I hope to meet you again. You too, Rose! Oh, and—"

They never heard what Jenny was going to say, for the hologram flickered and went out the next moment. Gone, as if it had never existed.

John was staring blankly into the air, when a piece of paper—the letter—appeared out of nowhere and landed in Rose's hand. Her heart fluttered, and John looked at her sadly.

"Read it for me," He asked in a soft, vulnerable voice. "Please, Rose."

Rose hesitated for a moment, but nodded in the end. Her heart drumming steadily, she unfolded the paper slowly, cleared her throat and began reading.

"'Dear Rose, and Doctor.

It has been a long time for me. A very, very long time. Oh, just a few centuries, give or take, of course. Many things happened— I've regenerated, the Universe collapsed twice, I've been erased from existence once, I've married— yes, many things, Rose, did happen.

After letting go of you, I was so hurt, lonely, and afraid. I made even bigger mistakes, trying to tamper with fixed events and fighting time itself. I had even once declared myself as 'the Time Lord Victorious', saying that no one could stop me anymore. But time did pass, and I moved on. Eventually. I grew up enough to look back and smile at the memory; I never forgot you, any of you, but I learned to look back at my flaws.

Doctor, I am speaking to you now.

At the time, I was too young and angry. I said bad things to you, and did you so much injustice—I remember accusing you of committing genocide.'"

_You were born in battle. Full of blood and anger and revenge._

_But… you made me!_

"'And I'm so, so sorry.'"

Tears tingled in Rose's eyes as she read on.

"'I was wrong. You did what had to be done. You stopped the Daleks. You did the impossible by saving Earth, so many people, all the people… It wasn't I who did it. It was you. It was always _you_.

You are more human, more courageous, and more brilliant than I can ever be, and yet, you are a Doctor. If anyone deserves Rose Tyler, it's you, not me.

And just one more thing; Gallifrey had been saved. Gallifrey, our planet, has never been destroyed. My memory has been just restored; all of our incarnations had come together to save it in the last moment— that the Moment had never been used. We froze it into a pocket universe, saving it, not _destroying_ it. We gave them hope, and now, I'm going to go searching for it. Our home.

Remember, Doctor. You were not a killer, and you will never be. You are a good man. And you are not alone.

For you, Rose Tyler, be your amazing self. You healed me, and I loved you, although I couldn't bring myself to say it when we last parted. I'll never forget how I felt for you; I'll write your name in the stars and galaxies for people to sing and love.

I give you forever thanks, both of you. And now is the time for us to say our goodbyes and move onwards. Farewell, Rose. Oh, and Doctor…

_Geromino_.'"

And beneath those words was a single word, written in Gallifreyan—the Doctor's name.

As the last farewell present, he had entrusted them with what he valued more than his life. The Biggest Secret in the Universe.

_Oh, Doctor…_

John stumbled forth and hugged Rose tight. A sob ripped through his lungs. He wasn't a killer. And for the first time in his life, he was really and truly the Doctor. He wept, overwhelmed with a sudden rush of emotions. Gratitude. Relief. He wept and wept because he was so _happy._

Laughing tearfully, too, Rose pulled him into a warm embrace. And there they stood, holding onto each other and laughing and crying—right there, on the Bad Wolf Bay.

And John Tyler's eyes—which had been tormented with pain and spite and anger for so long a time—gazed into hers, and finally, _finally_… she saw the anger dissolve. In its place, at long last, there was _hope._

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

"Trenzalore," Jenny whispered in awe, staring at the beautiful planet looming into her view. Then she scowled, looking up. "And an awful lot of Daleks."

"Oh, and don't forget the Church of Silents, Jenny." River smirked, pointing at the TARDIS screen. It showed signs of energy transmission; a shield was projected just above the planet. "They won't like what we are going to do."

"Oh. You mean, blow a few Dalek ships up, venture a headfirst dive through the shield, ignore their warnings, shout the name of the Doctor, and enter through the Crack, Mom?"

"Yes! And since this is a TARDIS, they will think that it's the Doctor trying to bring the Time Lords back, Sweetie." River winked, and Jenny gave a little cheer in excitement.

"Well then," River tossed her the blaster gun. "I'll drive the TARDIS, you stand guard and shoot at will. Oh, and don't forget to cross your hears and pray not to die."

"Yes, Captain!" She grabbed the gun, loaded it, and took aim, ready to shoot. River strolled forth and stood in front of the console. She inhaled deeply.

"Okay," she announced, "Here we go."

And she pulled the lever.

_**DWDWDWDWDWDW**_

_Somewhere far, far away…_

"_They say that Demons run when a good man goes to war. But in some places, there's more to this poem, a part that is always left unspoken."_

_The blond man laughed bitterly, his skull flickering transparently for a moment._

"_Demons run when a good man goes to war._

_Night will fall and the storm will rise,_

_When a good man goes to war._

_However, Demons, beware; the Cardinal is coming._

_When the good man's brother goes to war, only death will arise and no one's spared._

_The good man is an Oncoming Storm, a Lonely God; the Cardinal is a Deadly Calm, no sympathy, no mercy, no loneliness whatsoever._

_So beware, Demons, and run; for the Cardinal is coming for you."_

**A/N: Okay! So Jenny is about to meet her 'uncle'! Tentoo is happy, and… can you guess who this blond man with his poem is? (wink wink) You know him all right!**

**Next Chapter will be Donna/Wilfred/Theta fatherly family fluff! Please R&R! **


	11. Let's Talk About the Stars

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! I've been busy preparing the school festival… (looks away) And why aren't you reviewing? It discourages me :( Please keep me going! Okay, enough with the moping, let's start! **

**Chapter 11**

**Let's Talk About the Stars**

"_As a punishment for killing the previous Lord Burner, the President withdrew the Burn Edict and appointed me to the post in his place."_

"_And did you... that is, did you ever—"_

"_He gave me a test, issued a burn edict against an old man— well, he was old in that incarnation, anyway— an old man and a child. They were no threat to anyone, they were... my family."_

"_What happened?"_

_Romana asked. Braxietel laughed, as if the question was absurd._

"_I told you. Only two people have ever survived a burn edict. Someone tipped off the old man. He stole a TARDIS and escaped Gallifrey with his granddaughter.__ And the Lord President died in an 'accident' that day. A… coincidence."_

_**~The Conversation Between Romana and Irving Braxietel~**_

_*…*…*…*…*…*_

Theta was having a nightmare.

Every time he slept, or even dozed off, random memories slipped into his dreams in bits and pieces. He didn't know what was true and what was not, so he didn't tell anyone and just kept it to himself.

Some were fun—he was running around with a Sonic Screwdriver in hand. He was holding his baby granddaughter, laughing in joy. He was barefoot on the moon, he was kissing a pink and yellow human, he was bantering with Donna the ginger, he was dancing at Amy and Rory's wedding, he was, he was…

Some didn't make sense at all.

Waving at 'fat' babies? Courting the Virgin Queen? His utterly awesome, cool fez being blown to pieces by his so-called wife? And good God—_how many times was he marrying someone_? He could make head nor sense of it!

—And some were downright terrible.

Today was, unfortunately, one of the bad days. The young child tossed and turned, moaning in his sleep. Images flashed passed at a dizzying speed, so fast that the colors bled into each other and the shapes blurred. Voices, however, rang hauntingly clear in his ears, penetrating his very heart and chilling his spine.

_It's taken me all these years to realize that the laws of time are mine. And they will obey____me!_

_Who decides they're so unimportant? You? _

_For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor, but I'm not. I'm the winner. That's who I am. __**A Time Lord Victorious**__! _

…_And there's no one to stop you?_

_No._

_This is wrong, Doctor! I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is _wrong_!_

_**That's for **_**ME**_** to decide**__! _

A cold pride, an unlimited sense of sheer power surged within the man's hearts. He turned and started to walk away, his eyes flashing dangerously. He stopped only when he heard the gunshot. It was only then that his mind cleared, and in its place were the—the _drums_. His head was suddenly flooded with the cold, the panic, the fear, the wildly surging pride vanishing, breaking down, running away, the drumbeats following him everywhere, _BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM_, he will knock four times, it's too late, and, and—

What have I done?

"NO!" Theta screamed, jolting upright in his bed. He felt like he was drowning, a dead sense of terror suffocating him. He struggled to free himself from the bedsheet, frantically lashing out. Finally he managed to roll out from his bed, crashing onto the floor. The voice echoed again in his head.

_A Time Lord Victorious!_

"No," he whispered, oblivious to the pain in his back and his chest. Feeling weak and breathing harshly, he got up. Sweating and shuddering, he looked around the room wildly.

_Out. Away. Out. Away!_

A sudden impulse to run away, to somewhere far, far out there seized him. Hearts drumming painfully fast, eyes open wide, Theta Sigma did just as a terrified child ought to do. He did what he had been doing all his life.

He ran.

_*…*…*…*…*…*_

Wilfred Mott was taking a nighttime stroll. When Donna had won a lottery ticket, she had chosen a manor which had a forest nearby for him. It was their secret place; when she felt forlorn and lost for apparently no reason at all, he would bring her here and watch the stars together—and she felt peace.

Oh, the night sky! How beautiful it was! Peaceful and beautiful. Now that she had her memory back, Donna was far more confident and considerably brighter. _And_ the Doctor was actually back, too! Of course, he was currently in a… a _situation_, but it was nothing irreversible, right?

Feeling hope for the first time in a long, long time, Wilf made his way up the grassy hill to the woods, wearing his favorite red hat and holding a lantern in his hand. He halted midway when he heard a muffled sob break through the collective chirping of the crickets.

Was someone crying?

He peered into the forest uncertainly, holding his lantern higher up in the air.

"Hello?" He called out. "Anyone there?"

For a moment it was completely silent; then he heard a stifled hiccup. Yes. Someone was definitely there—desperately trying not to cry.

Wilf took a cautious step forward, and called out again, this time louder. "It's okay. I'm Wilfred—Wilfred Mott, Donna's grandfather. Why don't you come out?"

A pause. And, to his great surprise, Theta's head hesitantly poked out from behind the trees. Upon seeing Wilf, the boy ducked his head and took a clumsy step or two forward into the moonlight. Then he stumbled and slumped onto the grass. He curled up into a ball, his eyes wet and his entire body shaking uncontrollably. He hiccupped and looked up at Will with his big, brown, puppy-like eyes, trying to look brave but failing miserably.

Wilf hurriedly set the lantern down and ran up to the little boy.

"Doctor? You okay?"

"Yeah," Theta whispered, but his voice was quivering. He sniffed. Wilfred shuffled closer and crouched down next to him. Then he began speaking.

"Doctor, I'm just an old man, and I've never been that much helpful to you. And I… I don't know why, but you were always quite truthful to me in the hardest of times. Eh, you understand, right? So I want you to tell me what's wrong, Doc, and get on with it."

The old soldier gently pulled the young Time Lord into a tight embrace. Theta didn't resist. Instead, he let his shivering body lean against Wilfred's warmth. Little by little, his body relaxed, the uncontrollable tremors ebbing away. He felt secure, as if he could really, really trust the old man… as if Wilfred Mott was his family. A real, reliable, trustworthy family. He drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes, his mind much clearer than before.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Theta mumbled, quickly pulling away in embarrassment. He wiped his face with his palms. "It's just… I…"

He hugged his legs and rocked back and forth, feeling weak, broken, and hating himself for it. Finally, hesitantly, he looked up and asked the question that had been plaguing his heart like a demon tonight.

"Am I a good man, Wilf?"

*…*…*…*…*…*…*

The deep brown eyes. So sad, so old, so hurt.

That voice. Pleading, on the verge of breaking down in tears, but holding it back nevertheless.

For a fleeting moment, Wilfred saw him, the same old Doctor in Theta Sigma more than ever.

"I had a dream, a really bad dream," Theta confessed, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "I do keep having dreams of my past, but usually it's fleeting, and I can't quite remember it when I wake up. But today… it was different. It was so, so clear, and it stayed. It was my worst fear."

When he dreamed about losing his companions, he woke up sweating and terribly scared, too. However, they soon dissipated; his friends _were _alive and well, right here in this house. There was nothing to be afraid of.

However, today, he saw the worst thing ever. Something that he couldn't just ignore or run away from. The scariest thing in the universe.

Himself. The Time Lord Victorious.

"The Doctor wanted to rule Time itself. He changed, he did terrible things— he went too far. He tried to change _fixed points_, he declared himself as the winner, the master of time, the Time Lord Victorious. And he felt proud. _Proud_. It was madness, Wilfred; it took a woman's death to bring him back! Is he…" The boy faltered, almost breaking down again. "…_Am I a monster?" _

"God, blimey, no, Doctor!" Wilfred shook his head, taken aback. He remembered, for a second, the broken Doctor he had met in the Café on that fateful Christmas day—the day the Doctor he knew and respected _died_.

_No one. Travelling alone. I thought it would be better. But I did some things, it went wrong. I need—_

Was that 'mistake' what Theta dreamed of…?

"You make mistakes sometimes, but you always knew what was wrong and what wasn't. You were the best man I've ever seen, Doctor. You saved an useless old man's life by sacrificing yourself. You took Donna to the stars. I fought in the War, private Mott, and I didn't kill a single man, and I was proud of it. But blimey, you, Doctor, you saved the entire world dozens of times without a _single_ murder, and you didn't even ask for any thanks." Wilfred cleared his throat awkwardly. "I mean, you are not just a good man. And you were _never_ a monster. You were an amazing man, Doctor, the best I've _ever_ seen. Always pulling plans by the sleeve and running around to save people! And I respect you for it."

Theta gaped at the old man's fierceness for a brief moment. Why was he so protective of the Doctor, when even _he_ wasn't sure of himself? Or, to be more precise, _what would become of him_? He wondered to himself, puzzled. But at the same time, he also felt relief—_warmth_—wash over him. So, he must not have become a Time Lord Victorious in the end. After all, Wilfred was the living proof of it; the Doctor _was_ a good man to some extent.

Theta buried his face into Wilfred's shoulder and murmured fondly.

"…Thanks, Wilf."

"Anytime, Doctor. Anytime."

Wilfred chuckled, patting the young boy's back. Theta sighed, the tension seeping away from his muscles, his heart not pounding frantically anymore. Yes, he felt a good deal better now. Coming out into the open was a good choice; running into Wilfred was even better. Just what he needed.

Seeing the boy calm down bit by bit, Wilf relaxed and pulled himself up. The child Doctor looked up at him, questioning with his eyes.

"I'll be right back," Wilfred called out, stumbling down the hill. "Wait here!"

So he did. Theta waited. And waited.

After a few minutes, Wilfred came hurrying back up the hill. He found Theta Sigma deeply immersed in thought, staring up at the night sky. The child was still unaware of his presence, and was quite startled when the old man tossed a red blanket over his body and handed him a cup of steaming hot chocolate. It was a cool autumn night, and Theta was still in his pajamas, after all.

"Wow, _brilliant_! I mean… thank you, Wilf." The boy grinned awkwardly, sipping the warm liquid happily. He loved sweets—especially chocolate. "The caffeine and sugar stimulate synapses and heighten brain function. Not to mention the elevated activity of hormones—makes one feel much better. Just what I need. Chocolate!"

Theta giggled a little, then frowned and shook his head. "Wait. What? Sorry, I'm so sorry. I keep rambling—don't know what gets into me."

"No, it's okay. That's—" Despite the confusion he was going through at the moment, Wilfred tried his best to think of an appropriate word. No, 'normal' would never work for the Doctor. Wait. Oh. Yes. Blimey, that was it. "That's… Doctor-ish!"

"Doctor-ish?!" Theta burst out laughing. "That's a good thing, right?"

"The best!" Wilfred chuckled. Theta grinned playfully, and flopped back onto the grass. He gazed at the stars, humming thoughtfully. Stars. There were so many, but not one was the same one he used to see on Gallifrey. But still, they were equally beautiful. He briefly wondered what their names were.

"That's the North Star."

To his great surprise, it was Wilfred who answered his silent questions. Unaware of Theta's open staring, Wilf lay down next to Theta and began pointing out the stars one by one, a nostalgic smile on his face.

"I used to take Donna out and watch the stars on her bad day. We would laugh and talk and listen— it was beautiful."

He lapsed back into silence, and Theta continued to stare at him, his brown eyes wavering. Then he spoke up quietly.

"I used to watch the stars, too, you know. Back on Gallifrey."

Wilfred looked at the young Doctor, wide-eyed. He had never heard him talk about his childhood, except during the exchange with the Master chap. The boy was still staring up at the sky, unconsciously tapping rhythmic beats of four on the ground.

"My father was a criminal, a renegade. I don't even remember his face anymore. He never came back home. I've never had a proper dad." Theta laughed softly. "Funny, because my mother was a renowned member of the High Council. She loved me, but she was always too busy to take care of me. Almost all of my relatives were psychopaths. My closest friend—Koschei—went mad after he was forced to look into the Schism. Others picked on me at the Academy, and I was alone… really, really alone."

He sighed, a sigh much too old and tired for a little boy.

"I had an older brother named Brax. He was never the protective type. Instead, he was always the sensible one— the elite. I wanted to be exactly like him, but… I couldn't. I failed. There couldn't be two of him. I was very, very angry and frustrated because of it. But then, that was when I looked up. I saw the stars."

Theta looked up at the night sky. His face broke into a small, wistful smile.

"It was beautiful—so, so beautiful. I fell in love with it. I wanted to run, just run away, far out _there_, and walk the stars. That was the biggest hope I've ever had in my life, and it saved me. My own silly dream. Wilfred, if you watched stars with Donna in times of darkness, then… that was the best thing you could have ever done for her." He turned his gaze onto Wilfred, grinning. But his eyes were solemn and sincere. "I wish you were my dad."

Wilfred's heart stuttered. The same words. The same eyes.

_I'd be proud._

_Of what?_

_If you were my dad._

The same man, Doctor Theta Sigma.

—And Wilfred's answer would always, always be the same for him. At least he owed him that much.

Theta blinked in surprise as Wilfred abruptly pulled him into a tight hug. He fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Wi—Wilf?" He stammered.

"Doctor, I'd be proud if you were my son," came the reply, slow and fierce. The answer that would never change and never will. "And you can call me your father whenever you want to."

It would be his honor.

**A/N: Okay. So. Finally. Wilf/Theta bonding short chapter done! Yay! Please R&R… Next chapter will be featuring River, Jenny, Gallifrey, Brax and Romana. **


	12. Big Brother is Coming Home

**A/N: I have a very important question. What's the most angsty and/or sad scene for the New Doctor Who that you want the other companions to see and know? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! Very important for later chapters!**

**Chapter 12**

**Big Brother is Coming Home**

River and Jenny were screaming and screaming as they plummeted through the atmosphere at an exhilarating speed. The Daleks opened fire, but Jenny shot back all the same. She grinned as one of the Dalek spaceships burst into flames. River pulled the Zigzag router, narrowly avoiding being destroyed by a bright green ray.

"How much distance left?" She hollered. Jenny ran to the screen and shouted back.

"Almost there!"

"_How much_, sweetheart?"

"Oh—fifty kilometers till we reach the Crack!"

The console room lurched and rocked roughly. River cursed and ran up to the console. She swerved to the left, and a missile whizzed past. Jenny stared down from the open TARDIS door. The Crack was looming closer and closer and bigger and bigger every second, at a dizzying speed—

The radio beeped incessantly, replaying an urgent message signal from the Church.

'_Warning: Do not approach. Warning: Do not approach. Warning—!'_

Oh, no chance of _that_, River smirked gleefully, in spite of the urgent situation. The wind was roaring now, and the gravity pull only increased the speed of the ship as it hurtled down directly to the Crack, unstoppable by any force. 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 kilometer left—

"Do it, Jenny!" River yelled over the roaring noise of the overpowered engine. "Do as I told you. NOW!"

The Church of the Silence was sending out troops, and they were just behind Jenny and River, ready to shoot them down to pieces. On the other hand, the Crack looked bigger than ever before, glowing with a bright white light, as if waiting for someone. Or something. And they exactly knew what it was. And nothing was going to stop them, if this meant getting some help for the Doctor.

Jenny inhaled sharply, closed her eyes tightly shut, and yelled at the top of her lungs, every cell of her body hoping and praying that this would _work_. Things would go to absolute hell if it didn't.

"Time Lords of Gallifrey, this is the TARDIS! We demand entrance to your pocket universe, in the Name of the Doctor, which is—!"

The moment the Name fell from her lips, a blinding storm of light erupted from the crack, engulfing all of them. The Daleks screamed for mercy—in vain—as the sheer, amazing amount of energy ripped them to pieces. The Church was hopelessly blown away like dust. A thundering flash ensued, and then—

The TARDIS had disappeared, nowhere to be seen.

*…*…*…*…*…*

_Pocket Universe, Gallifrey._

Lady President Romana sat in her office, having a cup of tea and relaxing—for the first time in many weeks. Irving Braxiatel, Lord Cardinal of Gallifrey, sat across her. Even in dire times like this, the lean man's black suit and the graceful posture was remarkably sleek and impeccable.

Braxiatel was the Doctor's only brother, but he gave a drastically different first impression. The Doctor was rather eccentric, quirky, and cheerfully insane. He was rude from time to time, and handed out jelly babies to everyone. He was the very picture of a classical renegade in Gallifrey.

On the other hand, Brax looked like he was in his mid-thirties, with his jet black hair and the manners of a noble scholar. It was undeniable that he was quite a handsome man. He was also unofficially the richest man in the Universe— but still, he never wasted his money or boasted about it. In short, Braxiatel was the best Renaissance man one could ever meet, and it was enough to attract almost everyone immediately at first sight.

However, Romana knew better.

She turned around and looked at the currently most powerful (not officially, of course, but still, it was the well-known truth) Time Lord in Gallifrey.

"Although most had turned to dust from the impact of breaking through the Time Lock, there were eight survivors of the Council who engaged in the Final Sanction. Two of them were those who objected, the other two were the guards. One was the Master, and three of them were the ones who had agreed. Surely you know that, Cardinal Braxiatel?"

"Oh, yes, so I've heard. And it's just Brax, you know. And actually the reason I've come back to Gallifrey at the last moment of the Time War was to stop the Final Sanction. Fortunately, they had been stopped by the Doctor, and in _the same time_ all the twelve incarnations of the Doctor froze this planet into a pocket universe. Frankly speaking, I was quite impressed. Do you know that the children are singing songs about him in the marketplace?"

He chuckled, bringing a cup of black tea to his mouth. "I never knew that the Doctor would be able to pull such a feat. That was nearly impossible. Not to mention that he wasn't the best student in the Academy, and he was a renegade, too."

"Oh, _Rassilion_, stop talking about him like a stranger. And don't think you can throw me off scent like that, Brax." She shook her head, arching her eyebrows rather disapprovingly. "Look—they had all been hospitalized, and they were recovering from their injuries at a relatively fine pace. And suddenly, yesterday, the three who had voted in favor of the Final Sanction were discovered dead. _Fried in electricity_! Do you think that's a coincidence?"

"Hmm, how unfortunate." Irving Braxiatel tilted his head, inspecting the intricate patterns on the bottom of his cup. "I remember interviewing them after they had regained consciousness. I was mildly surprised—they didn't express any regret for their choices, and seemed to be quite eager to regain their seat and the power. A pity that they will never be able to do so— there was a power overload in their rooms, wasn't it? What a coincidence…"

"Are you sure that it's a coincidence? An _accident_?" Romana demanded in a sarcastic voice, her annoyed feelings and exasperation seeping through.

"Oh, yes, of course, my Lady President." He replied in a cool, level voice. "Absolutely sure."

"And how is that?"

"You see, Romanadvoratrelundar—" Brax leaned back, smiling pleasantly. "I happened to be the Chief Investigator of the incident. I didn't find any signs indicating _murder._"

Romana stiffened, feeling a sudden chill run down her spine. He continued to sip his tea in a casual manner. There was a reason he was called a Renaissance man and a sneaky devil. His work was always… _perfect_, in a sense.

He had left Gallifrey for good, believing in it inevitable demise. And soon enough, as he had predicted, the Time War broke out.

Frankly, he didn't care too much; he had the genetic information data of every Time Lords on the planet, and he could rebuild Gallifrey back to its original glory once all of this was over. Lives of children being lost? He shrugged. Such trivial matters didn't trouble him at all. They will all be restored anyway, won't they? Why try to save them when there was a _far easier way?_

The only thing that made him pause was the Doctor. His little brother who walked the stars, somewhere far away. His only 'true' family that understood him and still didn't despise him.

But he had never been the 'caring older brother' type, and the Doctor was always good at surviving without his help— Braxiatel trusted Theta's remarkable survival instincts more than anything. So he turned away and retired to his personal museum on an asteroid that he won by gambling—the famous Braxiatel Collection. And there he stayed, waiting for the War to end and things to quieten down. He didn't give a second thought to rescuing the Doctor.

—That is, until he got the news of the imminent activation of the Final Sanction. The end of reality, the end of time itself. The end of cultures and civilizations. The end of Gallifrey. The death of the Doctor.

Angered, Lord Cardinal Braxiatel charged back to his doomed home planet, intending to kill Rassilion and end his madness then and there from wrecking the Universe.

He certainly didn't expect this.

_You certainly got better at it, didn't you, Theta_? He smiled fondly. The Doctor had frozen the entire planet into safety, ending the war once and for all. And Brax—although he did have the ability to travel between universes with ease and could have left the Pocket Universe even without a TARDIS—stayed. Since the original Gallifrey didn't fall, after all, he wouldn't have to proceed with his plan. Instead, he was helping the wrecked planet back onto its feet.

After the disbelief, joy and celebration, people began rebuilding their home planet. They mourned and buried the dead with honor, they rebuilt hospitals and temporary houses with wood and metal. They salvaged what little resource they had, and made the best of it; the marketplace began teeming with life once more. In the place of rubbles and blood, the orange sky revealed itself. There weren't any Dalek ships hovering overhead anymore. Birds began to sing.

Gallifrey was waking up again, softly singing the song of the Doctor, their savior.

With the Council gone, people called for Romana to lead them as their Lady President again. There weren't many High Minds of Gallifrey left. Most of the Council had died when the Final Sanction failed. So there were just the War Council and its trustworthy General, the two surviving loyal High Council members including his own mother, Romana, and _him_. Lord Cardinal Braxiatel.

Excellent.

They worked together smoothly, and they worked hard. Day and night. It took them three full weeks to restore their Capital. His mother volunteered to take the Master in and care for him—the man was still unconscious and recovering— albeit secretly; although they had agreed that his madness was due to the wrongdoings of the Council, the people didn't know of it yet, and they would be appalled at the idea of taking a criminal like the Master in. Better to keep them in the dark. That would be far easier.

So they took Master to their family manor—the one that was miraculously unharmed—and his mother tended to him. She looked much younger now, with her new, beautiful face, slender figure and the long ginger hair. She had regenerated in order to recover from the impact of the Final Sanction.

Master had regenerated so, too, while still in coma, with the energy pack given to him via Romana's orders. But as far as he could see, there was little or no change in his features, except for the fact that his body wasn't flickering blue and transparent anymore. Well, Brax didn't care too much for the renegade Time Lord, drumbeats or not. So he didn't pay much attention to him after that.

Shrugging, he brought the cup of hot black tea to his lips again. It had been three weeks and two days since the End of War, and this was the first time he was taking a break.

Roman sighed and sat down, too, dropping the subject. She could do with some tea and a few minutes of rest— she was quite tired, too. And even though Irving Braxiatel was one of the most intelligent and ruthless people she had ever seen, it was not like he enjoyed murdering. On the contrary, he solely acted for what he thought was a 'better good'; it was only his lack of sympathy or compassion, the complete absence of hesitation when it came to manipulating others or sacrificing his friends or other 'trivial things' in the way that made her feel fear.

At least… she trusted him. He had always been her best, most trustworthy supporter. So, although she didn't approve of his 'methods', she did allow herself to relax in his presence.

_Oh, well_, Romana shrugged, and brought the teacup to her lips again. _A little bit of peace does no harm_, she thought…

_**BANG—!**_

… And at that exact moment, the TARDIS crashed through the roof, making a fantastic cloud of dust and pieces of wood rain down on their heads spectacularly. The antique wooden desk shattered with a heavy thud, and Romana gaped as the all-too-familiar blue police box door was thrown open and a woman with wild, curly hair and a girl with a golden ponytail tumbled out, losing their balance in the process. They fell face-first onto the splintered remnants of the said table and promptly lost their consciousness.

Braxiatel calmly set his cup down and spoke.

"… Well, _that_ was unexpected."

"WHAT?!" Romana whipped around, staring at Brax incredulously. "_For Rassilion's_ sake, Cardinal Braxiatel! How can you just sit there and say '_well, that was unexpected'_?! This is the Doctor's TARDIS. As far as we know, they could have _killed the Doctor, got hold of his TARDIS, and came to assassinate_ or attack us via a mysterious route!"

"No need to fret. It's about time you knew what kind of man I am." Braxiatel shot an annoyed glance at the angry Time Lady. He placed a hand on his chair. "I'm always prepared for every unexpected happenings."

And he pressed a hidden button.

A blue constraining energy field shot up, smoothly encasing the two unconscious people like a tube. Romana stared in utter disbelief.

"I didn't know that we had such… thing."

"Of course, I gave a direct order for its installment."

"… In my office, without my permission?"

"Yes. Any problem?" Braxiatel replied coldly, and turned his attention back to the two intruders. He clasped his hands together and smiled. "Now, will our two intruders kindly identify themselves?"

For a short time, there was only silence; then the fingertip of the blond girl twitched, Slowly, slowly, she raised her head, looking dazed. Her eyes scanned the room in a sluggish manner—until she found Romana and Braxiatel standing side-by-side and staring at her. Romana tensed up a bit, but Brax was merely watching with interest.

Jenny's eyes widened in recognition of the male Time Lord, and then her face cracked into a huge grin. She jumped up, waving her had excitedly, and shouted—

"_Hi, uncle_!"

For a moment, everything was absolutely still.

Romana froze, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.

Irving Braxiatel's jaw dropped open. He had _never _expected _**this**_.

And meanwhile, River, who was lying in the back, came to her senses, too. She looked up, shaking her head groggily. She frowned, her eyes taking in the blue, transparent energy field surrounding her. Finally, she understood what kind of situation she was in. And a playful smirk immediately sprang to her lips.

For she had a _very_ amusing idea.

**A/N: Uh-oh. Sorry for the delayed update! And sorry for this short, boring chapter; it was necessary for the plot. Forgive me. But it will become much more exciting, I promise! Some really good parts coming up!**

**Next Chapter: River being… River. In short, chaos ensues. Also, Braxiatel gets the shock of his life— he finally meets Theta, manages to insult and annoy everyone in three minutes, and ends up receiving a Donna Noble slap. Humor and Fluff!**

**Please R&R—and mind the Author's Note up there.**


	13. It Ends With a Donna Noble Slap

**A/N: Okay, I think I wasn't being clear in the previous chapter. In the next chapter, the Doctor's companions get to watch some of old Tenny's memories. What do you want them to see? Please review! **

**Chapter 13**

**It Ends with a Donna Noble Slap**

"Uncle?" Romana repeated, casting a confused glance between River, Jenny, and a rigidly-shocked-Braxiatel. "Cardinal Braxiatel, but you have only one brother—the Doctor—and that makes _her_ the daughter of…"

As the socking realization sank into her mind, her eyes widened impossibly.

"Oh. _Oh._ No, you aren't telling me _that_."

"Actually, I am!" Jenny grinned again, and snapped her fingers. The blue holding cell was instantly deactivated. River groaned and looked up, shaking her head. She blinked, and her sweeping gaze also found Irving Braxiatel. She stared for a second, smirked, and pushed herself upright. She held out her hand.

"Professor River Song. I assume you are my Sweetie's brother 'Brax', aren't you?"

She whistled, spotting the deactivated holding cell button.

"Ooh. You've designed that to respond to your DNA only, I see. 26th century Earth technology. Crude, but effective—and that's why it followed Jenny's order. It recognized her DNA as the Doctor's! That's my Sweetie for you—but don't worry. You are…" She leaned forward until she was very close to a very uncomfortable-looking Braxiatel. She smirked and whispered. "_Hot_, too."

Braxiatel winced, and Jenny frowned disapprovingly.

"River, I don't think you should flirt with him… after all, you are his sister-in-law. That's—that's—eww."

"Jenny, I think you should visit Tibet someday. A very good place; women can have many husbands there!"

"No, this isn't Tibet. This is _Gallifrey_, mom!" Jenny shouted, looking appalled. River laughed and answered quite coolly.

"Okay, I won't flirt with him _too _much. And no, I was just joking. I don't fancy him."

Jenny simply rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at that. Romana's eyes were bulging out at this exchange.

"Sister-in-law?!"

_But, but that made that woman—the Doctor's—_ Her mind was reeling with shock. Irving Braxiatel, on the other hand, was finally coming to his senses.

He inhaled slowly, and closed his eyes. Always perfect, prepared—that was him. And yet, how could he have expected _this_ to be thrown at him at once? He had to admit that he was quite taken aback… at least.

His thoughts back in careful control, he reopened his eyes and studied the cheerful blond ponytail girl and the woman with wild curls up close. Pacing back and forth, he clasped his hands behind his back and began speaking in a level voice.

"Interesting. Lady President Romanadvoratrelundar, may I ask for a private audience with these people?"

"What?" Romana frowned, clearly disapproving and unwilling to follow his request. "But… these intruders, we have no certainty concerning whether or not they are telling the truth. Cardinal Braxiatel, I suggest that having guards at post is a better option."

"To which I disagree," Braxiatel replied smoothly, letting a strand of black hair fall perfectly onto his charming features as he leaned forward. "From what I see, they don't have any ill intentions. And I have been always right, my dear Romana. So let us be, and, I believe there's some more work that needs to be taken care of waiting for you."

Romana couldn't but scoff a bit at this. _It's your work, too, you overrated ego_, she thought playfully. Ah, well. This omnipotent catastrophe of a man—or a Time Lord, to be exact—would be more than able to take care of himself. And it would be more than impossible to persuade him to let her stay, when he had already made up his mind.

So Romana sighed, turned around and told the guards in a firm, commanding voice of a President.

"Leave this room and do not enter in all circumstances. Now, move! Oh, and Braxiatel—" Seeing the guards shuffle away quickly, she glanced back at the Lord Cardinal herself and closing the heavy wooden door.

"Make it quick; I want to know what's going on, especially if it's about the Doctor. Do not take more than ten minutes, understand?"

"Of course."

The door locked with a faint 'click'. Lord Cardinal Braxiatel spun around, smiling. His gaze swept over the duo once more before he stopped to examine the Type 40 TARDIS humming merrily in the corner. The Doctor's never-changing, time-traveling blue police box. It seemed to be in a fairly good condition, considering the things it had gone through. Having that checked, he clapped his hands together and spun around.

"Now! Time for explanation. Why is a Doctorless TARDIS here? And on what occasion did you come to visit me? And why do you, Doctor Song, feel like a part Time Lady to me? What's the relationship between you two? So many unanswered questions— and I really don't like being kept in the dark." His eyes narrowed darkly, but soon the shadow vanished. Smiling again, he promptly sat down and spoke in a voice that sounded _too_ kind to be true. "So why don't you tell me the story?"

So they told him their story. Their whole, complete story. The Doctor's guilt over the fall of Gallifrey, Jenny's 'birth' in Messaline, River Song's marriage with the Doctor in the middle of an apocalypse, and so on, until they finally reached the story of Theta Sigma crashing into Donna Noble's backyard in the middle of the night.

Brax visibly perked up at the mention of the Doctor's childhood name that hasn't been used for ages. He nodded, waving his hand generously.

"Go on. Interesting."

The de-aging and memory loss incident was thus fully unraveled in front of Braxiatel. After hearing the whole story, he leaned back and hummed, deep in thought.

"Can you reverse it? Or tell us what to do, at least?"

Jenny asked, playing with a cracker in her hand. Brax stood up wordlessly, walked up to the blue police box and placed his palm on the door.

"Perhaps," he replied, a cryptic smile on his lips. He snapped his fingers, and the door swung open. He set a foot into the TARDIS before briefly looking back. "But I would have to see for myself. Aren't you two coming?"

"But—" Jenny looked puzzled. "That black-haired lady, she's Romana, right? My dad told mom about her once or twice. She asked you to tell her about our conversation, and she gave you ten minutes…"

"I'm Irving Braxiatel," he said, eyebrows arched, as if his name explained everything. "I don't think rules and permissions mean much to me. Also, ten minutes— that's more than enough time to run away, don't you think?"

_That's not what she would have meant by that_, Jenny thought briefly. But who cared? This was way more fun than hours of explanation, negotiation and persuasion. She liked it this way. So she simply grinned up at her uncle cheerfully, flashing a thumbs-up.

"Fine with me!"

"Well then, sweethearts, let's go!" River Song laughed, having already entered the TARDIS. Jenny jumped in, too. Together, they pulled a lever or two, and the engine roared back to life. _Rule breaking, it must flow in the family blood_, she mused, pressing a blue button. Not that she complained or anything. Actually, it was quite the other way around. She loved that devilish streak.

"Now, about time you met the child Doctor!"

"Actually, before that…" Brax shut the TARDIS door and turned around, his eyes brimming with anticipation and his lips curving into a smug smile. "We are talking about interdimensional travel here. Although traveling through an already existing crack, aided by a link—in this case, the Doctor's name—is possible and doesn't result in an implosion of universe, it does require a lot of energy. The last trip almost drained the TARDIS out of power; we can't risk another trip without some… preparation."

_Oh_. River blinked. She hadn't thought about that. Again, she was impressed by the amazing display of this man's brilliance. He was certainly the Doctor's brother. She had a feeling that this was going to be really fun.

"So, what do you suggest?"

She leaned forward and smirked, ready for anything.

Braxiatel's eyes twinkled mischievously.

*…*…*…*…*…*…*…*

"My Lady President!"

Romana looked up from her immense stack of papers and frowned. She was just finishing up the calculations for rebuilding the planetary defense systems of Gallifrey, and it was no one other than the General who had disturbed her. She really didn't like being disturbed. So she replied rather stiffly.

"Yes, my lord General. What is it?"

"My Lady President," he repeated, huffing and desperately trying to catch his breath. Clearly it was an urgent matter at hand; he had come running the whole way. Romana glanced at him, feeling uneasy now.

"What is it?"

"The Omega Arsenal in the Time Vault had been robbed again," he reported, saluting at last. Romana's face paled at the news. The General went on, still breathless. "We triple-locked the place… after… the 'incident' with the Doctor. But someone—we are clueless to his or her identity—who had access to the highest security code broke in and took the Moment."

Romana's face paled. She exactly knew who this 'thief' was. Rassilion, it was so obvious! Her teacup shattered to pieces as her grip tightened. And the General noted, shifting a bit fearfully, that the look on her face was downright _freezing_ cold, and menacing as well.

"_Irving Braxiatel_!" She hissed, crumpling a piece of paper fiercely. Oh, he'd better run; run to somewhere very, very far away. For she was going to really and truly strangle that sneaky devil to its well-deserved death once and for all, the moment she found him again.

And unbeknownst to her, run he did; by the time she had heard the news, the graceful Renaissance Man had already escaped the pocket universe, using the Moment to fuel energy to the TARDIS, and was peacefully sailing to planet Earth, Sol 3, in a blue police box, a victorious smile on his lips. The Moment was a fantastic helper.

And now, he was on his way to find his little brother.

Young Theta Sigma.

*…*…*…*…*…*…*…*

It had been three days.

Three days since Jenny and River popped off and away to god-knows-where; three days since the familiar, old TARDIS had disappeared without a trace from the garden; three days since Theta began to wake up in the middle of the night, whimpering and/or sulking. He claimed that he kept having bad dreams because 'the TARDIS wasn't singing golden songs for him when he slept' as it used to do before.

At first, Wilf the good old papa was able to comfort the little child with a mug of steaming hot chocolate. It only worked for a few hours or so. Then the kid, being a child _and_ a Doctor, became all restless and whiny—("Why am I not surprised?" Rory muttered. "He was always a kid; nothing changed.")—and that's how everyone found themselves sitting in front of the fireplace at midnight, with Theta Sigma snuggled all comfy on Amy's lap. Rory didn't approve of this, but a Lone Centurion had no chance against the child's doe-like eyes. That was it. Theta _was_ staying on her lap, Amy declared. And it stayed that way.

But at least their time with Theta wasn't boring; Jack was a great storyteller, even though Martha the soldier and Donna the ginger had to tackle him from time to time to prevent him from wandering off into 'inappropriate' areas.

"The Torchwood was founded to protect the England from the Doctor," Jack started, grinning. Mickey nearly chocked; Donna's jaw dropped.

"_No way! _I mean, seriously?! The good old royals should knight him or something at least for keeping the country from falling to pieces! The _dumbo_s!"

"Did the Doctor break into the palace of Henry VII because he needed the jewel on the crown, etc., etc.?" Amy asked dubiously, raising her eyebrow. "Because I won't be surprised at all if he did. It's entirely possible."

"Nope! Actually, he was the drinking buddy of Henry, and he saved Queen Victoria from being bitten by a werewolf," Jack smirked. "But old Vicky got so freaked out and scared that she knighted him as 'Sir Doctor of the TARDIS' _and _exiled him on the same they. _Aaaand_ what does she do? Go found Torchwood, of course!"

"Yes, I'm not surprised at all, that's right," Mickey muttered, rolling his eyes. Theta giggled and popped a jammy dodger into his mouth. Munching, he chirped happily.

"But it sound fun, and that's what matters!"

"Yes, Thete, it really is amazing—the Doc!" Jack grinned fondly, tapping on his cheek, deep in thought. "Let's see—when I got into Torchwood, I tracked you down. You appeared throughout politics, ghost stories, legends, everywhere—and some _love scandals_, too! It turns out that our famous Virgin Queen wasn't very virgin, after all! I especially love the part where you—_OW_!"

Jack yelped and jumped in surprise as Donna gave him a sharp nudge, hissing, "_He's just ten; don't you dare!_" Scowling, he was about to retort with a snarky comment when Theta, who was watching their exchange with innocent curiosity, suddenly let out a short cry and leapt up from his seat.

"Did you hear it? Did you?" He exclaimed, running to the window in excitement. "The singing, it's back!"

"What? What do you mean—"

Martha was about to ask, puzzled, when she heard a faint grating noise that she was all so familiar with. Theta was literally bouncing, a huge smile dancing on his lips, as he pointed out the window. With a faint _'vrooping'_ sound, the dear old police box materialized onto the garden, its lantern blinking as usual. Theta grinned excitedly.

"The TARDIS—it's back!"

The big brother was home.

*…*…*…*…*…*…*…*

He could see it. Blue, beautiful, and old. It looked like a simple old blue box on the outside—but it was ageless in its beauty, the way it traveled the stars, the beginning and the end of the universe.

He could hear it. The singing, golden and soothing, calming the nightmares and looking into his very soul like a sentient being.

Oh, the TARDIS, _the TARDIS_! Theta's heart drummed fast and joyful as he raced outside, eager to stroke the smooth wooden surface of the box, and to see Jenny and River again. They were—

_Oh._

He froze on the spot. Amy caught his swaying body, looking very worried. Why did the little Doctor seem to be terror-stricken all of a sudden?

"Are you okay, Doctor?" She asked, and Theta gulped hard, shaking his head.

"No. Wait. I don't think this sounds good."

Good god. Theta felt panic rise within him. He was a _married man with a daughter_! Rassilion, a husband and a father?! His body shuddered at the mere thought of it. It was so appalling. Who would want to be _married_?

He spun around to face Amy, a look of sheer terror on his face, and shrieked—

"You are my mother-in-law?!"

It took her everything not to laugh. Oh, she had freaked out when she found out that she was the Doctor's mother-in-law. Surely who could have imagined having a millennium old, two-hearted, face-changing alien as a son-in-law? But she had gotten over the culture shock, and now, it was downright hilarious to watch as the Doctor reacted the same way—only that it was now the other way around. Rory was almost smirking at this absolutely funny situation.

Before any of them could give the boy an answer to calm him down, River merrily pushed the door open and stepped out, waving her hand.

"Hi!"

"NO!" Theta yelped and scurried to hid behind Wilfred's back. Amy couldn't stop herself from giggling now, and River frowned, puzzled at their bizarre reaction.

"What happened?"

"He knows that you are his wife now," Amy revealed, laughing her head off. Theta peeked out from Wilf's back with curiosity, distrust and fear mingled in his puppy-like eyes. River shook her head, turning to her mother.

"You _told_ him? _I _wanted to shock them all, mom!"

"I'm sorry, couldn't resist the temptation," Amy smiled, beckoning an unwilling Theta forward. "Doctor, why don't you greet your Sweetie with open arms and say hello?"

"_No_! I'm not calling anyone 'sweetie'. I'm not gonna marry!" He wailed in a panicked, whiny voice, trying his best to deny the undeniable. "Please tell me that I'm not married. I can't be married. I hate being married! Marriage is _sweet _and _fluffy_ and _domestic… ugh_! How can anyone stand it! She isn't even ginger!"

Theta shivered, obviously appalled at the very idea of a domestic life. Jenny, who had just came out from the TARDIS, was struggling to suppress herself from bursting into a laughing fit. She miraculously managed to do so and added a comment with a mock-serious face.

"Amy and Donna are ginger, dad. If you want to marry a ginger, maybe you could ask them out on a date—"

"_**Noooo**_—!" Theta howled miserably, causing Wilf to take him in a comforting hug and others to laugh like crazy. Jack made a mental note to himself that he would never forget to tease the Doctor about this, once the 'de-aging incident' was solved.

"So where have you been?" Amy finally said, wiping her tears and giggling a little. "What were you up to, you and…?"

"Jenny," River quickly supplied, nodding towards the cheerful blond girl, who was trying in vain to calm her father from throwing a very childish temper tantrum. Amy found herself liking the new girl—who was also her sort-of _granddaughter _(oh, my!). She somehow reminded her of the doctor, her Doctor. So she smiled at her, and Jenny grinned back. River watched her mother and her newfound daughter with amusement before continuing.

"Jenny and I went to get some help—an expert."

"An expert? About what?" Martha inquired, curious. River smiled, tapping her fingers together quizzically.

"About the Doctor. Someone who knows him so well, more than anyone; someone who knows his name, his family, his childhood, his past and his secrets and his fear. Someone who went through the Time War. Someone who can feel the spin and turn of the universe and the never-stopping flow of time."

The TARDIS door swung open once more. Everyone turned to look. River smiled.

A lean, handsome man in sleek black suit stepped out, scanning and analyzing them carefully with her eyes. Then he smiled and bowed gracefully.

"Good evening. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Braxiatel, Irving Braxiatel. I came here to see the Doctor."

Theta perked up at this, and when he saw the man, his eyes widened in recognition and disbelief.

"Brax?" He whispered, slowly getting onto his feet. Amy glanced at him, surprised. How did he recognize that man, when his memories had regressed all the way back to his childhood?

Braxiatel looked at the boy, and seemed to understand the situation at once. He sighed and smiled sadly, shaking his head.

"Oh, Theta. I believe I told you before that you were too old for getting yourself into trouble at every chance."

"You didn't!" To their surprise, Theta flushed red with anger at that, stomping and glaring. "Why are you here, anyway? You never paid any attention to me! Have you changed your mind all of a sudden or something, _Brax_?"

"Well, no, not really." Braxiatel answered, tilting his head in amusement. "So you really _did_ forget, Theta."

"Forget what?"

"Everything. The things you've been through—we've been through. Your friends. Yourself. Your granddaughter. The planet of Skaro. Your exile from Gallifrey. And the Great Time War, of course."

"Wait, _wait, wait_!" Donna stomped forward, with the force of a ginger Doctor Donna. "What's this all about? How do you two know each other? And _don't you are tell him about the bloody War, mate_," she hissed, this time to Braxiatel. He merely arched his eyebrow and clasped his hands tightly behind his back.

"Of course I know him—oh! So you don't know me, do you? The UNIT has met me before, and has me in the file. The fact that you don't know my identity proves that there's no human holding a high position in Earth here, which is very good. No need to be polite or charming then."

He smirked and clapped once, his demeanors changing drastically in a mere second.

"Anyway, as I said before, I am Irving Braxiatel, Time Lord, Lord Cardinal and former Lord President of Gallifrey, tutor of the Academy, owner of the Braxiatel Collection, and an Unofficial Ambassydor of Kasterboros. Ah, and I'm the Doctor's brother, too. You can call me Irving."

Donna's eyes almost popped out. _The Doctor's brother?! But he looked nothing like the Spaceman, except for the point that he had good looks! _

Beside her, Martha gasped and protested immediately.

"But… but that's impossible! When I had asked him if he had a brother, the Doctor mentioned that he doesn't have one anymore, and that he was—"

She faltered, the words '_that he was the last of the Time Lords' _dying on her lips. She threw a frantic, uncomfortable glance at Theta, who was still standing close by with a sullen look on his face. Braxiatel shrugged uneventfully.

"Do you have a problem speaking?"

Sighing, he turned towards his little brother and snapped his fingers. Theta's eyes widened for a brief second before he toppled and fell down heavily onto the grass, unconscious. Startled, Wilfred immediately leaped forward and caught his frail body. Meanwhile Braxiatel brushed the dust off the sleeve of his coat and smiled at Martha.

"Don't worry, he's just asleep. Simple hypnosis— things are easier this way. I assume that you can continue speaking now?"

"He could have hit his head!" Martha shouted, obviously angry at the so-called brother's carelessness. "Were you trying to give him a concussion or something? Are you his brother at all?"

Braxiatel simply shrugged, brushing off her angry protests without hesitating at all. Then he stepped forward, and ran a hand over Theta's forehead

"Yes, I am the Doctor's brother. Yes, I saw him when he was born into this world. And yes, like the Doctor, I work for the continued existence of the universe—although we had never made an agreement on our methods."

He hummed, casually answering all their unvoiced questions. Promptly ignoring their surprised looks, he withdrew his hand and stood back up.

"His mind really is a jumbled mess, I see. Most of his memories are still there, but they are all broken into tiny, scrambled pieces like… noodles in a chicken soup, or an egg scramble, I don't know. We'll have to do something about that tomorrow. It isn't very hard to fix."

"The Doctor said that he was the last of his kind," Amy persisted, still eyeing the man with distrust. "He said that he destroyed the planet and killed them all… himself."

"Time does play funny tricks on our minds," Braxiatel replied coolly, inspecting his fingernails. "The rest is a spoiler, don't ask. And really, I don't expect unimportant, primitive apes like you to understand, even if I did tell you. Any more questions?"

"Why did you…" Jack quickly gestured with his hand, trying to ignore Amy, who was seething with fury— probably debating with herself whether or not she should go for the pompous Time Lord's neck and strangle him for good.

"You know, shake your hand over his head?"

"I was doing a basic scan of his mind," Braxiatel answered, slinging his suitcase containing the Moment over his shoulder. Jack frowned.

"So…. You read his mind?"

"Yes. All the memories, basically. Psychic ability, Time Lord."

"But the Doctor once mentioned that reading one's mind without permission is extremely rude, not to mention disrespectful!" Jack glared, obviously infuriated by the fact that Irving Braxiatel had mistreated their Doctor. He wasn't flirting with this man, no matter how handsome his stupid face was. Unfortunately, this man wasn't even slightly abashed by his argument, and merely regarded the Captain with a cool, matter-of-fact tone.

"I'm Lord Cardinal Braxiatel. I don't require anyone's rules or permissions to do as I please. I am not the Doctor, so don't expect me to be as kind or benevolent to you as he is. Unlike my brother, I have no problem in disposing others if needed. But as I'm here to help, you don't have to be scared too much. Just keep your lines, and I will try to, too."

Saying this, his eyes were so dark and cold that for a moment, the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Only the great Doctor Donna seemed unfazed as she marched right up close to the frightening Time Lord and bravely tapped him on the shoulder.

"_Oi!_"

"What is it?"

Braxiatel glanced back at her briefly, oblivious of what was coming. Donna glared at him for a moment, her palms sternly placed on her hips, until her right hand slowly balled into a fist. And she shouted.

"Eat this, _Spaceass!_"

With that, a human Donna Noble slapped Lord Cardinal Irving Braxiatel.

Before he could react, Donna gave her arm a full swing, and the blow landed right on poor Braxiatel's cheek at an inhuman speed. Oh, good old Metacrisis Doctor Donna! Using her Time Lord superior physiology at times like this!

They all watched, gawking, as the Time Lord staggered from the unexpected impact, a shocked and bewildered look on his face. Donna was kind enough to wait for a few seconds before slapping the dazed man once more, knocking him out completely.

Jenny looked down at the crumpled, unconscious form of her uncle, one of the Most Powerful Time Lords in the Universe, and shook her head. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

After everything that they had come through, it all came down to a Donna Noble Slap.

**A/N: WOW! A SUPER LONG CHAPTER! Hope you guys like it, the humor part is back on :) Anyway, starting from the next chapter, the companions will enter the Doctor's mind, resulting in them watching the Doctor's bad memories and…. Oh the feels. Wait and see for yourself.**

**Thank you for loving this story. And unfortunately, Clara Oswald doesn't make an appearance, I'm sorry :(**

**Please R&R! Reviews make me write longer and faster!**


	14. Table-Turning Time Lord Brothers

**A/N: Okay—so it's starting to be exciting. Braxiatel is the Doctor's brother; Theta is the de-aged version of the Doctor. Just in case you don't know. Enjoy and Review! :)**

**Chapter 14**

**Table-Turning Time Lord Brothers**

_It's dark. It's cold._

_I don't know where I am. Where am I? Alone. I am alone. Too alone… too much darkness._

_I can hear a thunder clap above my head, and the storm rages all the time. Yet, I can't do anything—and it makes me afraid. Even more than the time when I was trapped in a fob watch, because this time, I don't know who I am anymore._

_I curl up in a fetal position, trying to ignore the other voices in my head— the voices of my other selves that I know not. A shudder runs through my body and chills the spine, only that I don't have a real body. I know that I am a figment of memory, an echo of myself; but still, I'm afraid. I close my eyes tight and desperately try to think. _

_Who am I?_

_The Doctor? Theta Sigma? John Smith? Sir Doctor of the TARDIS? Doctor Foreman? The Renegade? The Madman? The Oncoming Storm, the Dalek-killer, the Bringer of Darkness, the Predator? The Nightmare of Monsters? The Pretty Boy? The Chin Boy? Sweetie? Raggedy Man? The Man Who Never Would? The Last Time Lord? The One Who Betrayed the Name of the Doctor?_

_But… _

_Doctor Who? _

"That… was a nice slap, Donna." Jack managed to say out loud while pulling the elder Time Lord—by the legs—up the stairs at the same time. Grudgingly, Donna took Irving by the arms and started to help Jack carry him up the stairs.

"He deserved it, Captain Harkness. Now, move!"

Amy watched, amused, as the once threatening Time Lord was most ungracefully dragged into the bedroom. However, she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him; after all, the Doctor's brother was even _ruder _than the Doctor (which was an amazing feat, by the way!)—and compared to him, Theta Sigma was a lovely angel.

After thrusting Irving Braxiatel onto the bed, Donna and Jack exited the room one by one, letting Rory drag the man's trunk in. With that done, the redheaded temp from Chiswik yawned and shrugged, turning away.

"Well, good night! It was a long day—I'm going to sleep."

"Good night," Amy smiled, and entered the room, gently cradling a sleeping Theta in her arms. After shooing Rory away, she tucked the little boy into bed, right next to Irving. After patting the little Doctor's forehead rather fondly, Amy turned and headed for her own bedroom, humming. The door closed shut.

And Irving Braxiatel's eyes immediately flashed open.

The Time Lord pushed himself upright, rubbing his sore cheek and groaning in annoyance. Feigning unconsciousness was useful when you wanted to overhear certain segments of information or drive unwanted, nosy people away; after all, he did manage to get into a room all alone with Theta. The only drawback of it was humiliation. He scowled again, brushing dust off his sleeve with his long fingers. Then he turned his attention to his younger brother, who was sleeping quite fretfully. Must be a nightmare.

He placed his palm on the child's pale forehead and pressed gently. A wisp of golden light swirled beneath his palm before dissipating quickly. He lifted his hand, and saw that the boy's face had relaxed into a peaceful smile.

Dream manipulation; easy.

He shrugged, and pulled out his sonic pen from his pocket. He scanned the young Doctor's body briefly for Huon Energy Signals. He gazed at the numbers that appeared on the screen for only a fraction of a second before his brows furrowed. He pressed the sonic pen onto the Bio-dampener on the boy's wrist, deactivating it in a puff of smoke. Then he pointed it again, this time directly in the direction of the Doctor's body, before pressing a silver button that read 'AMPLIFY'.

Seeing the energy level spike up immediately, he smiled in satisfaction. Good. Everything was going as planned. This will be enough to lure _them _in… a good bait.

And at that very moment, the door swung open. Braxiatel quickly pocketed his sonic and looked up sharply. Upon recognizing the visitor, his eyebrows arched up in surprise.

It was Jenny.

She looked beautiful, with her blond hair freely flowing down her back. Brax hummed in approval as he observed that she was wearing the Gallifreyan white linen tunic that he had given to her as a gift, earlier on the TARDIS. The silver moonlight illuminated her features just enough for him to see her flash a grin at him.

"Sorry that I didn't knock. I thought you would be asleep—"

"Not really. I do with catnaps most of the time. Bedrooms are a waste of space, in my opinion." Braxiatel shook his head lightly. "Why don't you come in, Jenny?"

Really, 'Jenny'? What kind of name was that? He groaned inwardly, thinking that his younger brother had been hanging out with humans a bit too long. He made a mental note to himself that sooner or later, he would give his nephew a more dignified, longer, suitable Gallifreyan name—like 'Jennikiatyor' or 'Jenicescheor'.

Jenny stepped in, observing the room with keen interest. She bore a striking resemblance to Theta Sigma, Brax noted. Including the reckless courage and display of curiosity. And, of course, superior Gallifreyan intelligence. No wonder she had a positive first impression on Braxiatel (which was a rare case, mind you; in fact, up to then, only three females had succeeded in doing so—Romana, Bernice "Benny" Summerfield, and Jenny.)

"So," Braxiatel smiled a little, pulling out two comfortable armchairs from his bigger-on-the-inside trunk (no wonder poor Rory had to struggle carrying it up the stairs) and beckoning Jenny to sit on one while he sat on another. "I see that you are wearing the tunic I gave you!"

"Well, yeah. Couldn't resist wearing it—after all, it's the first gift I've ever gotten from my family!" She laughed a little and leaned forward, brushing a lock of silky brown hair from Theta's face with a gentle move. A pensive smile appeared on her lips. "Irving?"

"Oh, just call me Brax. That's what your dad calls me, too; after all, 'Irving' is just a makeshift alias for me."

"Okay, then, Brax!" Jenny giggled cheerfully. Braxiatel smiled at her, but soon his feature turned serious again. He tilted his head a little to the left, regarding his newfound nephew with curiosity.

"Jenny, may I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you care for the Doctor?"

A pause. Then Jenny started laughing incredulously, as if the question was absurd in itself.

"Excuse me, he's my dad!"

"Yes, he is," Braxiatel answered, his eyes boring into Jenny's, firm and penetrating. "But that's it. You only knew him for a few hours, and he wasn't even slightly affectionate to you at the beginning. He rejected you, and he, in that sense, was just a gene donor for you, Jenny. And yet, you got shot instead of him, and you kept searching for him through time and space for decades. This time around, you even came to help him out without even hesitating a little. I can't understand, and I want to know the motive behind your actions. You don't owe anything to him—but why do you still risk everything for the Doctor?"

Having finished speaking, Irving Braxiatel was quite surprised to find Jenny smiling. She shrugged and turned her gaze to her peacefully sleeping father.

"Well then, why did _you _come?"

"What?" Braxiatel asked, taken aback by her daring question. His nephew was staring at her, her fingers fiddling with her nighties.

"I don't know how I did it—but I read you. On the TARDIS. I guess it's a Time Lord psychic weird stuff, but…" Jenny trailed off, not looking at Braxiatel directly. She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes. Braxiatel's gaze turned sharp for a fleeting moment.

How?

His psychic abilities were far beyond any other Time Lords. Braxiatel's mental barrier was so great, almost beyond measurement, that he was able to lock the Pandora in his head and suppress it—while all the other Time Lords had died from simply _looking_ at it. When he was lying or pretending to be a nice, charming man, no one could see through it, let alone read his mind. But Jenny had done it—without even trying to do so. Something that only he had been able to do.

And she had seen the darkness within.

Dark. Twisted. Lying. Deceiving. Uncaring. Sociopathic. Manipulating. No guilt. No sympathy. Ne hesitation. A godly devil. An endless land of grayness that stretched on and on, until the good and the evil ceased to exist; not hesitating at all to take lives of a million innocent children, erase an entires civilization from history, bend Laws of Time to his will, or even kill and sacrifice himself, if it was for the 'better good' of the Universe or the Time Lord Society.

How could she even bear to look at him?

Yet, she was looking straight into his eyes, unusually calm and controlled—just like Romana did on a few occasions when she, as a Lady President of Gallifrey, was forced into a situation in which she had to understand his point of view. Jenny continued.

"It was a brief glimpse, but I saw enough. Brax, you think you can never be a good man; you gave up on it a long time ago. You are absolutely goal-oriented, not letting anything get in your way. Sacrifices are easily made, friends abandoned, and there's no guilt or hesitation when you are doing so. And I understand, because I wasn't born a Time Lord— I was a _soldier_. Sometimes you just have to do that kind of thing—although you go a bit too extreme."

Braxiatel stared. He felt as if he was staring into his very own mirror image.

"But one thing that I didn't understand," Jenny went on, tilting her head. "Was why you killed the President to save your brother, all those years ago. Why? Why did you do so? It would have imposed an unnecessary risk on your career and your life, defending the Doctor like that. And you wouldn't have felt any guilt even if you _had_ killed him instead of doing so!"

"He's my family." Braxiatel replied, flicking his hand impatiently. "I don't take such ignorant, inefficient orders. He is my only true family, the one Time Lord on Gallifrey who knew who I truly was and didn't run away screaming."

"Yes, _exactly_, Brax! " Jenny jumped up, grinning in satisfaction. "The Doctor, he is my only family. And that's what families do, isn't it? Sticking together until the very end of it all. I was born a nameless soldier, born to fight and kill and obey. But he showed me a life to _really_ live— planets to save, enemies to fight, and an awful lot of running to do."

"You…" Braxiatel observed his nephew again, intrigued and awed at the same time. "You are quite brilliant, I should say. Better than almost any other Time Ladies I've ever met."

"I'm not a proper Time Lady, remember? Evolution is bound to take its course," Jenny laughed, walking to the door. "I like that, anyway. Thank you."

"You are welcome. Goodnight, Jenny."

"Goodnight!" She flashed a cheeky grin, and opened the door. Before she went out, though, she looked back one last time and winked.

"By the way, it was Dad who called me his '_daughter_' first, not me!"

Then she closed the door, leaving a baffled—and also slightly impressed—Braxiatel in the moonlight-lit room. Then the Time Lord started to laugh.

Oh, this was becoming _so_ intriguing.

*…*…*…*…*…*

Next morning, Rory Williams found himself in a very uncomfortable situation. He was sitting right between Brax and Theta. The duo was engaged in a banter that was more fiery and competitive than playful and fun—with their breakfast lying forgotten. The last night's tension between the Doctor's friends and Braxiatel was long gone (after the particularly amazing Noble Slap, that is), but still, Rory wasn't sure if he wanted to be here, between the Doctor and his brother, at the moment. After all, he was still having—or rather, _trying _to have—his tea.

…Hell, even others like Martha, Mickey, Donna, Wilfred, and Amy were all staring with their jaws dropped open as Braxiatel started talking about a side that was rarely revealed to others in the Doctor's seemingly endless wandering life: Childhood!

"So, how did I fare at the Academy?"

It all began with a curious Theta asking this fateful question. Braxiatel laid down his fork and regarded him with a smirk.

"Terrible, of course. Flunked almost every class for half a century. Almost got kicked out of the school three times. Kept getting yourself into trouble and was nearly beaten to death by the bullies. Tripped and fell over in a most ungraceful manner right before the Naming Ceremony—oh, and did I mention that you died once or twice, trying to stop your best friend Koschei from taking over the world? He calls himself Master now."

Martha's jaw dropped open. Amy stared. _No, don't tell me that the wonderful, almighty Raggedy Man was a… a _flunker! _And WHAT?! His best friend is a World Dominator or something?_

"Stop, stop!" Flustered, Theta frantically waved his arms to stop Braxiatel from saying more. He glared at the amused Time Lord. "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you? And Koschei, taking over the world? Yeah, fat chance!"

"Actually… he did." Jack answered, and Theta's jaw dropped open. Braxiatel smirked in triumph.

"See? I'm right, _Thete_."

"No—nope, that can't be true. No! You aren't…" Theta shook his head groggily, trying to recover from the initial wave of shock. And recover he did; a mischievous grin slowly spread on his face. Now it was _his _time to retaliate. He leaned forward and whispered loudly.

"No, you aren't always right. You never expected being slapped by Donna, huh, Lord Cardinal 'Oh-I'm-So-Perfect-and-Is-Prepared-For-Everything', _huh_?"

Braxiatel's eyes darkened, and soon enough they were arguing with each other, their voices rising louder and louder. Well, more like bickering, really.

"Oh, and who's talking? Theta Sigma the Great Renegade?"

"Yeah, _Brax_, cause it's you who—"

Mickey sighed and leaned back on his chair, putting an arm around Martha's waist and pulling her close. He muttered.

"Yeah, that's what brothers always do. Fight and bicker and turn tables. I'm not surprised. Though I thought Time Lords would be better than—" A piece of fish finger flew overhead and landed on the floor. "—This."

"They aren't Time Lords, they are just boys. Boys and their stupid sense of pride." Martha laughed. Donna rolled her eyes at that, and Wilfred chuckled. A few minutes had to pass before Braxiatel collected himself and pulled back, sighing in exasperation.

"Fine, fine, that's enough!"

"Ha! I won!" Theta poked his tongue out, grinning. "Chickening out, Brax?"

"Childish as always," Braxiatel shook his head, leaning back with another sigh. Then he handed Donna—who was busily cleaning the table—his half-finished breakfast plate with a tight smile on his lips.

"Thank you. I enjoyed… having fish fingers with custard. I've never seen this kind of combination before, though."

"Obviously, Donna retorted, cheerfully taking the plate. "It's your brother's favorite menu. I figured you would like it!"

"How _intelligent _of you, Miss Noble. My brother's taste in food had always been quite—_bizarre_, in the least! And you thought I would like it?"

"Well, thanks for your compliment, suit-boy!"

Braxiatel frowned and muttered something inaudible under his breath. At least she didn't call him 'Space-ass' this time around. Jack quickly exchanged amused glances with Jenny. She gave a knowing smirk.

_Well, that's something. At least he's trying to be polite again, _Jenny mouthed. Jack rolled his eyes and grinned.

_Yeah, that really means something, considering that he doesn't think much of us. And he isn't running off, screaming 'He's a Fixed Point!' like the Doctor._

_Somebody did slap the senses into him last night, _River added, smiling. _But he's still rubbish at his manners. That's cute. _

Jenny groaned. _River…_

_I'm not flirting! _

_Yes, you are._

_I'm not! _

"Do you know that I can hear everything you are whispering at the moment? And it's starting to be slightly embarrassing," Brax interrupted their heated argument, looking quite annoyed. Jenny grinned sheepishly at her uncle, and he shook his head with a long sigh. He was sighing for the third time in the morning.

Abruptly pushing his chair away, Irving Braxiatel stood up, tall and firm. He gathered everyone's attention with a single clap.

"Now," he announced, smiling. "Enough of all this friendly talk. Why don't we move on to business?"

Theta stared at him, his eyebrows arched in doubt. Something in Braxiatel's voice made him uneasy. Not to mention that meaningful smile…

What was going to happen?

*…*…*…*…*

_Back on the TARDIS…_

"Oh, and I was thinking I'd never have to do this again, Martha muttered in disapproval, locking the Chameleon Arch onto the fidgeting boy's head. She remembered the screaming and the pained expression on the Doctor's face all too well; it didn't help that Theta was looking up at her with the same big, brown, doe-like eyes. Feeling sorry for herself and Theta, she took an unwilling step back as Irving Braxiatel approached the child.

The man, perfectly clad in suits as ever, strode over to the console and unplugged two of the cords, disabling the cell biology rewriting function. Then he connected all the remaining wires to the sonic pen and crouched down in front of his little brother, making an intense eye contact with the boy.

"Listen, Theta Sigma." Turning the loose bolts back into place, the man spoke into the young boy's ear in a level voice. "Listen to me. As I'm not using the Arch to rewrite your biology, the process will be painless. Instead, I'll use this mind to access your mind and put the memories back into place. Is that okay?"

"Well… yeah," Theta fidgeted again, puffing his chest up in an attempt to look brave. "Only—only that I don't want to remember everything in one go. Not now."

"We'll do with the pleasant memories first, then." Braxiatel replied casually, as if he was expecting that kind of request from Theta. "And I'll let you choose the memories that you want to have back. What about that?"

Theta hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting over to Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, River, Jack, Jenny, Amy, Rory, Donna, and Wilfred Mott. He wanted to know. He wanted to truly remember who they were.

_Be a Doctor._

"Okay. Okay!" He said, taking a deep breath and nodding briskly. "Let's do this!"

"Excellent!" Braxiatel exclaimed and walked back to the console. Then he faced the Doctor's companions, meanwhile uploading data to the TARDIS computer database with his Sonic Pen.

"Now, I'll make the Doctor lapse into a state of total unconsciousness and enter his mind. But you will have to come with me. All of you."

"What?!" Rory asked, alarmed. He took a step forward. "You mean that we will enter his _mind_?"

"Your consciousness entering his mental landscape, to be precise. But don't worry—the TARDIS and the Arch amplifies my psychic abilities. And my work is always perfect," Brax casually dismissed him with a shrug. "He will be reliving the memories he chooses, and we will be watching it. But as I don't know the details of your little adventures, you'll have to point things out if you see a distorted, or false, piece of memory. Just in case."

"All right!"

To their great surprise, it was Donna, who wasn't on particularly good terms with Brax, that answered first. The ginger woman's eyes were so rigidly set in determination that no one dared object.

"I understand—the Spaceman needs us. We'll do it!"

"Good choice, Madame." Braxiatel nodded, a wry smile twisting his lips. "Then let's begin. Oh, and… Theta?"

"Yes?"

"I lied. About the 'painless part."

Before anyone could make a move, Braxiatel swiftly brought his hand down and slammed on the button. With a huge 'Bang', electricity immediately began buzzing and shooting blue-white sparks from the entangled wires. Theta's eyes widened impossibly.

Confusion, shock, anger, betrayal, anguish, and _**pain**_.

Then he started screaming.

Shocked, Martha watched the boy's fragile form writhe and shudder, then spun around and glared at the other Time Lord in utter fury and anger.

"You… you _lied to us_?!" She yelled. And Braxiatel smiled.

"Oh, of course. I lie _all the time_; it makes things easier."

With that, he brought his hand down again, pulling another lever. A blinding rush of white light erupted from the circuit. Theta screamed louder, from the pain of his mental barriers being torn down without preparation, from the shock of Braxiatel tearing through his memories and pulling them up one by one.

And everything plunged into utter darkness.

*…*…*…*…*

_And very, very far away, a Sontaran fleet in search of the Doctor detected a fleeting signal, a signal of Huon Energy amplified by a sonic pen. The Origin: Earth. The Doctor, their honorable enemy, was located on Earth. _

_Shortly after reporting this, the General could receive a clear command from the Sontaran Empire: Find the Doctor. Execute the Oncoming Storm, and bring glory to the Empire. _

_So twenty Sontaran fleets—an army with enough power of burning an entire Solar System to ashes—started heading for the same destination. They would arrive in only a few weeks, at most—sometime after Christmas. _

_Oh, it was just as Braxiatel had intended. All of this._

**A/N: Now it's the SHOW TIME! The next two chapters will really cover the Doctor's companions watching our favorite Time Lord's memories—from funny to angsty. But the plot is only starting to thicken, with a black-hearted, deceiving, unpredictable brother and an upcoming attack from the Sontarans. **

**Please Review! :)**


	15. Into the Doctor's Memories

**A/N: The memories from the Day of the Doctor and the episode "Listen" have been reduced to a minimum, because they are major spoilers for the story. :) Enjoy! And the Cover Image has been changed to young Theta!**

**Chapter 15**

**Into the Doctor's Memories**

Sarah Jane awoke with a start. She shuddered involuntarily as a sense of coldness swept over her body. Now, where was she?

"Hey, Ms. Smith. You with us?"

Mickey's playful grin and Martha's anxious expression loomed into her view. Gasping, she pushed herself upright, trying to ignore her blurry vision. She was exactly the same as before; only the surroundings had changed—and they seemed to be all too real.

"Where are we?" She blurted out. Captain Jack Harkness materialized out of nowhere, grinning. He shrugged and glanced around.

"I think we are in his mind. The Doctor's! But honestly, isn't this a bit… melodramatic?"

"But it's—oh, it's _amazing_!" Amy breathed out. Sarah Jane silently agreed with her, letting her jaw drop wide open.

A thunder echoed as a brilliant flash of lightening streaked across the pitch-black night sky. It was freezing cold, and the wind whipped through the air like sharp metal blades.

_He's the oncoming storm._

Surrounding the place where they stood were pillars of ice, high and tall and beautiful. Flames danced and licked the icy surface, the yellow-and-orange lights being reflected in every direction, illuminating the whole landscape brightly. Streams of lava snaked and pooled around the edge of it all.

_He's like fire and ice and rage._

The thunderstorm raged on above their heads as they looked up. They saw the sun—no, it was not the Sun. It was the planet of Gallifrey, burning and burning and burning in pain and heat and death.

_He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever; he burns at the center of Time and he can see the turn of the Universe._

And there were stars in their endless lonely beauty, embedded deeply into the night sky, like jewels on a crown. Martha gasped quietly, awed by the wonder of everything she could see. Tim Latimer's voice, describing the Doctor to John Smith, echoed in her ears.

_And… he's wonderful._

Oh, it was so, so beautiful.

"But… how can this be the Doctor's mind? I mean, it feels too _real_," Amy asked, touching the solid, rocky surface that she was standing on. Donna shrugged.

"Trust me. Virtual worlds can feel very, very real. I got married in it and believed it to be real once."

"And that's not the problem here," River added, sharply talking a look around. "Though this scenery _does_ reflect _who_ the Doctor is… it's empty. The Doctor's mind should be _seething_ with memories, not _empty!_ It's wrong, this, it's… where could he be? And where are _us_?"

"You," a familiar voice replied from behind, "are on the outskirts of his mind."

They spun around, and saw Irving Braxiatel—the Doctor's brother—calmly standing amidst flames, completely unharmed.

"You…..." Jack snarled, starting to advance on the Time Lord, but Brax stopped him dead on the spot with a careless flick of his finger.

"Oh, don't try to punch me; it's useless. I am in control of everything here, and you can't hurt me anyway." With that, Braxiatel turned away and ran his hand over one of the ice pillars.

With a grating sound, it rotated on the spot, revealing an entrance to a white, brightly lit corridor. They stared in surprise as Braxiatel beckoned them forward with an impatient look on his face.

"What are you waiting for? We haven't got all day! We need to go deeper than this to find the Doctor—so cool your head, save the arguments for later, and _focus_. Now, come!"

"Damn it," Mickey muttered. "I hate to say this, but I think we should do as he says… for now."

Jack cursed a little under his breath, but followed. So they started running after Brax, down the long, spotless hallway. Yes. _Focus on the Doctor_, Donna told herself furiously. _Don't care about the Spaceass!_

So she did.

Finally, they reached the end of the corridor. It was seemingly blocked, a dead end; but Braxiatel just whipped out his sonic (_How did he bring it at all?!_— Amy wondered for the briefest moment), and pointed at the wall, making it dissolve swiftly, revealing what was actually lying there.

Wilfred gasped.

There he was, Theta Sigma, suspended midair in the center of the room, which was basically an empty, white space. He seemed unconscious, his body hanging limp; a thousand million golden strands of light formed an intricate, complex web, like a neuron network, holding him in place.

All the strands were connected to the wall, which gradually sloped around to form a huge screen. Without those—Theta, the golden strings, and the empty screen—there was absolutely nothing in the room.

"It's like… he's the main computer. A database of memories," Braxiatel explained, taking his sonic out and aiming it at the screen again. "And don't touch him, Captain Harkness. It might disrupt the brain circuit, and he won't be able to respond, anyway."

Jack took a step back, startled. Reminded of the girl who was being used as a transmitter at Satellite 5, he had been unconsciously taking steps towards the fragile figure of Doctor.

"Sorry," he muttered, and Braxiatel nodded wordlessly. His eyes darted over to Theta, then back to the screen, while his hand kept toying with his sonic pen. He seemed to be calculating something. Finally, his eyes lit up.

"Okay. So this _is_ a huge computer. Let's see…" In two perfect strides he reached the empty screen, and pressed a button on his pen. The screen immediately flared to life, emitting an eerie blue light.

In an instant Braxiatel's hands were flying over the keyboard, typing out unfamiliar Gallifreyan codes at a blurry speed. Without letting his hands pause for even a split second, he glanced bay and commanded coolly.

"All of you! I need high doses of psychic energy to be in flux. Press your hands onto the screen and concentrate on the image of the Doctor you've met, _as hard as you can!"_

"What?" Donna asked back in an incredulous voice. Brax's voice became even more strained.

"Do it. Now."

His tone had a compelling edge to it, and so they obeyed, despite the confusion they were going through. The second their fingertips made contact with it, the screen switched colors from icy blue to a brilliant white. A monotonous voice echoed from the screen.

"RELOADING INFORMATION…"

"Yes! Oh, look. You all acted a _key_, a crucial link to putting the Doctor's memories together. Isn't it beautiful? Just like a computer!" Brax clasped his hands together, looking smug and satisfied at the same time. Amy was surprised to find herself being reminding of her Raggedy Man from those gestures. Huh. So they _were_ brothers, weren't they?

Unaware of her ponderings, Braxiatel neatly clipped his sonic pen back into his pocket and waited. Soon enough, the voice echoed in the room again.

"RELOADING COMPLETE. MEMORY TEMPORARILY STABILIZED. ACCESS ALLOWED AND ACTIVATED TO ALL THE SUPPRESSED DATA."

"Perfect!" Braxiatel smiled, throwing himself onto a comfortable armchair he had conjured out of nowhere. Picking up an earphone that was lying in front of the keyboard, he called the Doctor's name in a loud voice.

"Doctor Theta Sigma! This is Irving Braxiatel speaking. Can you hear me?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, a familiar young boy's face flickered onto the screen. He looked quite plainly terrified.

"Brax? I don't know where I am. Where am I?"

"Oh, in your mind, obviously. It's like, diving deeply into your consciousness—takes a while to get used to, don't worry. It's not permanent." Braxiatel shrugged, unconcerned. Theta relaxed a little at this, and nodded nervously. Brax continued.

"And now, we are going to sort out your memories. Up till now, I've been controlling your mind, but it's your turn now! Show us the memories of your choice, Thete."

"What?" Theta's eyes widened immediately. He shook his head. "But I… I don't know how!"

Instead of answering, Braxiatel nodded to Sarah Jane, gesturing her to come forward. Hesitantly, she did. Standing right in front of the huge screen, she heard Braxiatel's voice coming from behind.

"Sarah Jane, go on. Touch the screen."

"What? Like… this?" Sarah Jane uncertainly reached forward and cautiously made contact with the smooth surface again. She gasped as a tingling sensation traveled down her arm and shot out from her fingers.

"Ah!" Theta gasped, more from shock than pain, his body thrown backwards from the impact of the contact. They all stared in shock and bewilderment as the little boy's silhouette blurred and changed. Instantly, a man with curly hair, wild eyes, a shabby hat and an incredibly long scarf bolted upright, gasping. He blinked rapidly.

"Oh. _Oh_. Whoa. That was… something, Sarah Jane. I could do with a jelly baby or two."

"Doctor!" She exclaimed, taken aback. She tried to touch the screen again, but Braxiatel quickly cut in.

"Now. Did you feel it? The memories, flooding back to you? Right there, by your fingertips?"

"… Yes. I did. Now I know how to access it— but honestly, Brax?" The man scowled, touching his own face gingerly, as if he wasn't used to it. "This is so weird. I feel like I'm Theta, but I still remember being the Doctor. Well, some of it. I mean the fourth body."

"It's okay. And you can access all your memories if you want. It's all… there, after all." Brax waved his hand rather vaguely. "Now, close your eyes. Take a deep breath, hold it, and focus on the feeling you had just felt. Go on. Try. Reach out. Did you find it?"

"Wait… yes… yes. I did. I found it!"

"Excellent. Now, hold onto it. This is your mind, so you can control it. Choose a memory you like— Funny? Happy? Anything. And show us. Are you ready?"

A pause. And then,

"Yes."

"Good. And are you humans ready, too?" Brax turned around. Donna, Martha, Wilf, Mickey, Jack, Amy, Rory, and Sarah Jane all exchanged quick glances. Then they nodded. Jenny and River grinned, too. Rory the Roman spoke up bravely.

"Yes. Yes, let's do this."

Wordlessly, Brax nodded to Theta, who had a determined expression on his face. He slowly outstretched his hand, closed his eyes, and murmured.

"Gotcha."

And everything plunged into darkness again.

* DW * DW * DW * DW * DW *

Amy blinked, surprised, as a room materialized around her.

It was a cozy place, with a fireplace and an armchair. She softly put her feet onto the carpet. It was red and golden and pleasantly silky.

"Amy, look," Rory prodded her arm and whispered. She looked around—and saw a very familiar crib. Only that it looked fairly new in this memory. Tears sprang to her eyes.

"It's Melody's crib," she murmured. River smiled sadly and shrugged.

"Technically, it's the Doctor's," she said. Wilfred shuffled closer to the crib and laughed softly.

"Look. A baby's sleeping here!"

"What?!" Mickey gasped. "Is it—I mean, could it be the Doctor?"

"No, of course not!" Martha pinched her husband in the arm laughing. "She's a girl, stupid!"

"Oh," he muttered, disappointed. At that very moment, an aristocratic man with hair that was beginning to gray and a black Gallifreyan robe strode in. He smiled as the baby girl started gurgling happily, waving her plump arms.

"Ooh, Arkytior, you young girl. Are you hungry?" He cooed, lifting the baby into his arms and rocking her back and forth.

"…No? Well then, girl, tell me what you want. And don't call me 'a Big Robed Thing!'"

He looked offended a little, and they all bursted out laughing. Whoever than weird man talking to the innocent baby in all seriousness was, the situation was openly hilarious. The man continued, giving the girl 'Arkytior' a stern look.

"For Rassilion's sake, call me 'Grandfather', Arkytior. Or 'the Doctor'! Now, that's a good one…"

The scene abruptly faded into a golden blur. At the same time, their jaws dropped open.

Doctor?

That utterly domestic, loving Grandfather-ish man is the Doctor?!

"… No way, you are kidding me," Mickey moaned, looking quite distinctly green. "Don't tell me that he is a family man type of guy…"

"… With a granddaughter." Amy finished, feeling dizzy. River, on the other hand, looked fairly calm as she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Mom, he lived for _centuries_. He's bound to have at least half a dozen familes."

"Quite right, Professor Song. Actually, that was his first incarnation with his favorite granddaughter, Susan 'Arkytior' Foreman." Nodding in approval, Brax tilted his head and spoke into his earpiece, ignoring others' gawking stares.

"Theta, keep going. Now, give us a more recent one—like, something from your Tenth or Eleventh incarnation."

River could tell from his slightly strained tone that he was trying to stop Theta from stumbling upon a memory from the Last Great Time War. And to her great relief— whether it was due to Braxiatel's mind manipulation psychic ability or just sheer stroke of luck, she didn't know— Theta hesitantly obeyed.

"Okay. Now, how about… this?"

So they watched, with great amusement and, sometimes, bursting into fits of laughter, as bits and pieces of the Doctor's funniest and happiest moments in life were revealed one by one.

_Hair! I'm not bald! Ooh… big hair. Sideburns—I've got sideburns! Or… really bad skin. Little bit thinner, that's weird; give me time, I'll get used to it. A… a mole. I've got a mole. I can feel it. Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole. And it's all right! Love the mole!_

A newly regenerated Doctor hopping around the console room, in front of a baffled Rose Tyler… ("Now _that's_ a sight for sore eyes," Jack muttered, grinning.)

_Oh, it tickles… ow- oh- oh- oh- ow- ow! That's right, I look daft with one shoe. Barefoot on the Moon! Allons-y!_

The Doctor, loony as always, hopping the radiation out from one foot and flashing a cheeky grin at Martha… ("Oh, I love that one," the real Martha whispered nostalgically, while Mickey rolled his eyes at that.)

_Oh, wait. Look out! There are stairs behind you!_

_Stairs? What stairs? Oh… Ahhh—!_

A human Doctor John Smith—one moment he was smiling awkwardly, like a lovesick teenager boy, and the next thing they knew was that he was tumbling down the stairs! They all howled with laughter (while Braxiatel sighed in exasperation), and Amy leaned over to Rory and whispered, giggling breathlessly.

"Can you imagine our Doctor doing that?"

"What? No. No, never." The Roman Centurion scrunched his nose, confused. "I'm just wondering what his definition of a 'happy memory is."

"I think he's just trying to amuse us," River piped up, smirking. Braxiatel rubbed his temples and groaned. He murmured.

"And I'm wishing he'd stop."

"Not a chance!" Jenny grinned as the scene changed, and Donna exclaimed a happy "Oh!" as she recognized what it was. Others watched, baffled, as the Doctor began pouring butter beer all over himself, devouring nuts and anchovies in a mad frenzy afterwards.

Soon, Donna had to cover her face in utter embarrassment as she and the Doctor started waving their hands up in the air like lunatics, and then— the Doctor asked for a shock. And she snogged him. _Snogged _him.

"Oi, it was just a… a detox! Thank you!"

She yelled in annoyance as Captain Jack rolled onto the floor, howling with laughter. But she could stop a smile from creeping onto her lips, too. After all, the situation was highly hilarious.

Braxiatel was now sitting in the back, side-by-side with Jenny. She noted with amusement that the usually flawless man looked unnaturally tired. She nudged her uncle in the arm, smiling playfully.

"Having a problem?" She teased. He clasped his hands together and sighed once more.

"Frankly, I'm amazed by his seemingly endless ability and tendency to embarrass himself."

"Well, I like it!" Jenny declared cheerfully, tapping her uncle's slumped shoulders. She flashed a grin at him and added. "I wonder what the next one will be?"

Brax just gave a tired shrug.

Oh, actually, none of them knew what was coming.

* DW * DW * DW * DW * DW *

Theta hesitated, letting his fingers slide along the bookshelf. It all looked awfully real for a virtual world, a place in his mind. He had found the memories, neatly organized into books— he just had to pick one up and open it to relive that very moment. It was a grueling job, recovering them one by one, but he liked it.

He giggled quietly, wondering if his friends were enjoying it, too. Yes, they most certainly would. He was sure of it. Frankly, there were so many funny scenes in his Tenth self's life; he loved it. (Although falling off the stairs was quite painful to relive, it was worth it. Jack seemed to like that part.) He loved reliving that happiness, and feeling it settle in his head as a newfound memory afterwards.

Now, what next?

He ruffled his own hair, humming. It was taking much longer than usual. He didn't know what to choose. Hmm….. Something felt a bit off, _wrong_… but why? Where was that wrongness coming from?

At that very moment, a black leather book caught his eye.

It was alone on the bookshelf, dusty and untouched; unlike others, this one didn't look even vaguely familiar to him. Puzzled and curious, Theta picked it up, and brushed the dust off with his sleeve.

No title?

_No, you shouldn't open it, that's a suppressed memory! You can't let yourself remember!_ An alarmed voice cried out in his head, but he paid no attention. He stared at the mysterious book in hand, intrigued.

_No, please, Theta Sigma! That's filled with Time Energy; the moment you open it will be the moment you lose control over everything! Everything in your mind, Doctor!_

The voice pleaded again, but it was of no use. His attention was already captured by it. He could hear nothing, and see nothing, except for 'the book'. He slowly brought his left hand to the cover.

_No—! Stop…!_

And opened it.

* DW * DW * DW * DW * DW *

They watched, intrigued, as the three Doctors got dragged into the Tower of London. Amy was glad that she finally got to see her Raggedy Man, and Rory couldn't bring him to accept that the one who looked like a sensible grandfather was actually the youngest one—but others just kept their silence and tensed as the Tenth Doctor began accusing his future self.

_Did you ever count? _

_Count what? _

_How many children there were on Gallifrey that day. _

_I have absolutely no idea. _

_How old are you now? _

_Ah, I don't know. I lose track. Twelve hundred and something, I think, unless I'm lying. I can't remember if I'm lying about my age, that's how old I am. _

_Four hundred years older than me, and in all that time you've never even wondered how many there were? You never once counted? _

_Tell me, what would be the point? _

_Two point four seven billion. _

_You did count! _

_You forgot? Four hundred years, is that all it takes? _

_I… moved on._

"Something is a bit off," River murmured. In this memory, she was standing next to the Doctor, her Doctor, with Donna—but she didn't remember this. _When_ was this?

_Where? Where can you be now that you can forget something like that? _

_Spoilers. _

_No. No, no, no. For once I would like to know where I'm going. _

_No, you really wouldn't. _

_I don't know who you are, either of you. I haven't got the faintest idea._

"No," Braxiatel murmured, eyes widening in shocked realization. He spun around from the scene and yelled. "Theta Sigma! Stop this, NOW!"

"Brax?" Jenny glanced at the man in confusion. Braxiatel's teeth were clenched as he swept his hair back, frustrated.

"This was a suppressed memory," he snarled. "This is wrong. It's dangerous. It's a memory of his past self, meeting his _future _self; he shouldn't remember this at all! If not, Gallifrey won't be… no. _No_. I _will_ stop this. I have to. _THETA! _Do you hear me? End this. _NOW!"_

For a split second, there was silence. And then came Theta's voice, feeble and desperate.

"Brax? I… I can't! I've lost control!"

Irving Braxiatel's eyes widened in horror.

* DW * DW * DW * DW * DW *

The book slipped from his fingers and fell onto the floor with an echoing 'thud'. Theta's eyes flew open as he was roughly pulled back from reliving his memories. Gasping from shock like a drowning man, he looked around wildly. His heart plummeted.

"No," he moaned. "No. No, no, no, no!"

There was a terrible crack in the wall, and all the books were littered on the floor, thrown open, pages ripped and flying in all directions. A powerful gust of wind was wrecking havoc on the room and he was thrown off his feet by it. _No,_ he screamed at himself. _Control it; this is your mind! _

Concentrating, Theta tried to will everything to a stop, to restore all the damage; but he couldn't From the Crack, an unstoppable flood of Time Energy came pouring in, sweeping him and the books off the floor, flooding the room. Powerless, Theta flailed his arms and choked as the golden light that Brax had kept at bay came back in its full power and burned him.

As he was struggling to keep his consciousness, Braxiatel's voice suddenly thundered in his ears.

"Theta? Stop this. NOW!"

"I… I can't!" He sobbed in despair and pain and anguish and _oh_, so much _confusion_. Memories, so many painful ones, were pushing back into his head, burning and burning.

"I've lost control! What should I do? I don't know where I am. Who am I? WHO—AM—I?"

The Doctor screamed as all his worst, most painful nightmares crashed back onto him. The War. The Dalek. The Loss. The Doomsday. The Master. Losing Jenny, Rose and Donna. The Victorious. He will knock four times. End of Time itself. The Regeneration. The Pandorica. The Demon's Run. Over and over again, until he couldn't bear it anymore. He screamed.

And all hell broke loose.

**A/N: Review, please review! 'The Power of Three' will be posted **_**after**_** I finish Part One of 'The Reunion Paradox', by the way:) Thanks for all your love, dear readers. Now I'll go make the companions watch the Doctor's darker memories!**


	16. Never Let Them See Me Cry

**A/N: Warning! Major spoilers and angst, but I promise you that it's going to get better soon enough :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 16**

**Never Let Them See Me Cry**

They quickly realized what was happening. It was _his_ memory. The worst nightmares the Doctor had ever gone through. They had been buried somewhere deep, but now that he lost his control, they were coming back, erupting and unfolding right in front of their eyes.

And as the Doctor's companions, they had no choice but to stand back and just… watch.

_The Demon's Run._

Amy shuddered and buried her face into Rory's shoulder, crying silently. It was her worst nightmare, too, after all. River had gone a bit too pale as she watched the Doctor, the Oncoming Storm, started to yell, his eyes hopelessly lost in darkness and fury.

"_You're only human."_

"_Those words. Run away. I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Colonel Run Away. I want children laughing outside your door, because they've found the house of Colonel Run Away. And, when people come to you, and ask if trying to get to me through the people I love is in any way a good idea, I want you to tell them your name. Oh, look, I'm angry! That's new. I'm really not sure what's going to happen… now."_

"He's angrier than I've ever seen him before," Martha whispered to River, trying to hold back a sense of chilliness creeping down her spine. "Is… is _this_ Doctor always like that?"

"No, of course not. Most of the time he's just silly and childish, cooing over fezzes and bowties. But sometimes…" River paused. "Sometimes, he just snaps."

Martha nodded, numb. The scene changed—

"_You have been scanned, assessed, understood, Doctor."_

_A White Dalek stood in front of the Doctor, who looked confused and slightly angry. He scoffed._

"_Scanned? Scanned by what, a box?" _

"_Your limits and capacities have been extrapolated. The Pandorica is ready."_

"_Ready for what?"_

"_Ready for you. All projections correlate. All evidence concurs. The Doctor will destroy the universe."_

Jack's mouth dropped open in horror as he realized that all the aliens the Doctor had fought or provoked in the past had created an alliance against him. The Daleks, the Sontarans, the Cyberman, the Judoon, the Nestene Consciousness…

_Damn it, Doctor, _he thought. _What the hell have you gotten yourself into?_

They watched, rigid with shock, as the Time Lord struggled against the grip of the two Plastic Romans in vain. He was dragged into the Pandorica, and then fastened into the seat inside it. His arms, torso and head were clamped in place, and there he was, more helpless than ever, as all his old enemies stared at him.

_Seal the Pandorica. _

_No! Please, listen to me! The Tardis is exploding right now and I'm the only one who can stop it! Listen to me!_

He yelled himself hoarse, thrashing desperately, as the Pandorica started closing, leaving him in the dark and the cold, alone. He was imprisoned without any hope of escaping for all eternity. The universe was going to collapse, River and Amy was in danger— and he couldn't save them at all. This was _his_ memory, so his panic and fear was almost palpable to them, hanging heavily in the air and seeping into their hearts as they watched.

The light vanished completely, and then came a few fleeting images. Rory's death. The pained decision to kill the innocent Star Whale. And then, finally—

Donna gasped and Wilfred's heart stuttered as he saw the Doctor, _his_ Doctor, standing in a Vinvocci spaceship, looking down at the ground below. He had a calm expression on his face as he turned to Wilfred and nodded, holding a revolver in his hand. And he jumped.

"He's holding a gun…?" Donna interjected, incredulous. "But he never carries guns! He just doesn't do!"

"Shh," Jenny whispered, and then winced as she watched the Doctor crash through the glass dome and landed, hard, on the solid marble floor. Martha winced, seeing that the Doctor was in such pain that he couldn't hold the gun nor stand up. Her Doctor… he was _hurt_, and yet, she couldn't help him. All she could do was just stand back and watch! And why were there dozens of Masters in that room?

Wilfred felt grief rise in his heart as he saw the Doctor scathed and bleeding, holding forth a gun, his face contorted in pain and intense desperateness. The Master, the Time Lords, and Wilfred himself was in that very room.

The moment of the Doctor's death was coming.

Rassilion jeered at him. _The final act of your life is murder. But which one of us?_

The Doctor looked back and forth frantically, turning to aim at Rassilion, then back to the master. He was out of speech. And shaken. Unable to make his decision.

That's when he saw the Time Lady behind Rassilion. She slowly lowered her hands, gazing into his eyes sadly. He froze for a moment, the revolver suspended in place.

"_Mother?_" They heard him whisper. Their eyes all widened in shock and surprise, but before anyone could speak up, the Doctor whipped around and fired at the five-point star, this time without any hesitation. For someone who detested the use of guns, he was a remarkably good shooter. The bullet crashed into the diamond, effectively destroying the link in one go.

_The link is broken. Back into the Time War, Rassilon. Back into hell! _He yelled.

_Gallifrey falling! Gallifrey falls! _

_You'll die with me, Doctor! _Rassilion screamed, furious. He aimed his gauntlet at the Doctor, and he made no effort to run away from the oncoming attack. The Woman covered her face again. He paused for a moment, and shook his head, his voice calm and sad.

_I know._

But things didn't go as he had expected them to. The Master drove the Lord President away with his energy. The Time Lords and the Master disappeared in a bright light, and Gallifrey faded away from the sky. The Doctor fell to his feet, gasping. He felt numb. He had ended the Time War—killed his own race. Twice. Again. Oh, why?

But at least he had made it out alive. He felt joy and relief surging within his own heart. He gripped his own head, unable to believe that it was still there. The prophecy was not going to be fulfilled. The Master had disappeared, with his knocks of four.

"_I'm alive," he cried in disbelief._ _"I'm still alive!"_

_He struggled to his feet, almost laughing out loud. And that's when he heard it._

_Knock, knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock, knock._

_The knocks of four. Four times. He will knock four times…_

_The Doctor froze. He slowly turned around, dreading what he would see. No. Please. No, not this time. Why me? No…_

_He turned, and his heart dropped in despair. _

_It was Wilfred Mott._

Wilfred couldn't bear to watch anymore. The companions were completely silent as they watched the conversation between the old man, and the Doctor. The lone Time Lord was obviously shaking as Wilfred begged him to leave, that he could die for him.

_Look, just leave me!_

_Okay, right then, I will. Because you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes. Because that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me all this time! _

_No really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time. _

_Well, exactly. Look at you. Not remotely important. But me? I could do so much more. So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair! _

He took a deep breath after his outpour, and the grief and spite gradually dissolved from his old, brown eyes. Mickey remembered him saying that he was always okay. Amy also remembered him saying that he was the king of okay. That's what he would always say. He was always, always, always okay. He would never let them see him cry. Because he was happy, smiling, childish. He was the Doctor, the one who saved their day, not the one who wept in grief.

_Oh, to hell with okay!_ It was obviously _not_ okay, and they were finally seeing what the Doctor had been keeping as his secret all these years. What he had been truly feeling all these times.

He was always crying. They just hadn't been given the chance to see.

The Doctor let out a tired sigh as he stepped forward, heading towards the glass booth. Wilfred was frantically shaking his head, begging for him to stop.

_Oh, I've lived too long…_

_No. No, no, please, please don't. No, don't! Please don't! Please! _

Sarah Jane's eyes started to water at the tragic scene. She knew what was going to happen. The look in his eyes, so old, so tired, already admitting his defeat. Those eyes, readying themselves for death. She covered her own face, quietly sobbing. _Oh, Doctor_…!

_Wilfred, it's my honour. Better be quick. Three, two, one._

He quickly entered the open booth and unlocked Wilf's. Wilfred ran out and saw, in horror, as the red light began flooding the Doctor's booth. It was the radiation. The Doctor curled up into a ball, almost screaming in agony and pain but desperately trying to endure. Rory's jaw hung open in horror. Jenny was crying, tears silently trickling down her cheek. River drew her into a tight hug.

Finally, finally, after what seemed like all eternity, the power shut down. The Doctor stood up, shakily, as the door opened. But it was too late, and they all knew. The regeneration process had started.

_Where are you going?_

_To get my reward._

They watched, incredible grief welling up in their eyes as the Tenth Doctor started his last farewell trip. Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, Jack, Donna— all of them, and, finally… Rose. _Rose._ Jack's heart stuttered as he saw the familiar blond girl laughing with her mother. After bidding goodbye, she started walking— and turned at the sound of the Doctor groaning in pain. The dying Time Lord was half concealed in the shadows, and she obviously didn't know him. Not yet. Oh. _Oh._

This was their first and last encounter.

_You all right, mate?_

_Yeah. _

_Too much to drink? _

_Something like that. _

_Maybe it's time you went home. _

_Yeah. _

_Anyway, Happy New Year. _

_And you. What year is this? _

_Blimey, how much have you had? 2005, January the first. _

_2005. Tell you what. I bet you're going to have a really great year. _

_Yeah? See you._

Rose ran off. It was snowing. The Doctor staggered painfully, trying to reach the TARDIS. His time was coming. The end of his time. And the Oods began singing…

*…DW…*…DW…*…DW…*…DW…*…DW…*

_He was gasping, desperate grief and dread coloring his face. The TARDIS was pumping away, as if nothing was going to happen. He looked at his own hand. It was simmering with golden energy. He couldn't hold it off anymore. He looked up, more vulnerable than ever, on the very brink of crying. The golden energy was now lighting up his whole body. It was time to die._

"_I don't want to go," he sobbed. And then he burst into golden flames—_

Wilfred felt a tear streak down his cheek. Living it once was bad; watching it twice was downright horrible. He felt as if he was drowning in guilt; but the things that he haven't seen—they were the worst. He should have let the Doctor leave Donna's wedding. He should have been there, when the Doctor was dying.

But no. He _had to_ salute him off, just like he _had to_ get in that damned radiation booth, hadn't he? He had to knock four times, fulfilling the prophecy. Oh, he had stood back and just watched as his friend—who had sacrificed his own life in order to save an useless old man—left.

Condemning him to die, alone and afraid, tearing his beloved ship down to pieces in the process.

He drew in a short, shaky sob, bringing his fist to his mouth. His entire body racked with grief, and it was not until a few seconds had passed that he realized that someone was gently holding his shoulder. It was Captain Jack Harkness.

"It's not your fault, Wilf."

His face was grim, but his voice was soft. Wilfred choked back a tear, angrily turning around to stare at the American.

"No, it's all my fault. And don't you dare say that you understand, Captain! Don't you dare…"

"Wilfred." His voice got firmer as he gripped the old man's shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I _have _to say this. I understand. I understand how you are feeling right now, because I'm feeling the same right now."

"_No,_" Wilfred protested in a weak voice, sniffing. Jack's jaw tightened as he intensely staredinto the old man's eyes. Then he started speaking, in a dark, low voice.

"So many people died or suffered because of me. My brother, my friend, my grandchild, and some of my Torchwood teammates. And now the Doctor. Once, he had asked me to come with him again, after the Year that Never Was. I refused. If I had just stuck around, I could have gone inside that booth instead of him…! I _would_ have! And no one, _no one_ would have died—or regenerated—that day."

He inhaled deeply, shaking his head. "But no. Instead, I was idling away in a bar, drinking away. And I didn't even stay with him as he died. I just decided to salute him and go flirt with Alonso. Look around, Wilfred. It's not all your fault. And everyone's feeling the same… guilt, grief, remorse."

Wilfred wordlessly turned around to look. His eyes became glassy at the tragic sight.

Amy was crying. This wasn't her Doctor, but it didn't matter anymore. To see him die alone, tearing the TARDIS down and flames erupting all around him in the process— the scene was enough to break anyone's heart. And it was even worse for Jack, Mickey, Martha, Sarah Jane, Donna, Jenny and Wilfred. The Doctor with the spiky brown hair and a cheeky grin was the one they were used to, and they had just seen him die. And in such a terrible way…!

Jack and Mickey was at a loss for words, so they just looked away. But the rest were unable to hold back their tears. Even River was feeling heartbroken— she had just realized that this, one of the worst days the Doctor had gone through, had never been told to anyone. Not even her. The Doctor had simply carried the weight of it, all alone.

"Can we stop this?" She whispered, turning her stern gaze at Irving Braxiatel, reigning her emotions in. "Can we stop watching this, right now?"

"…No." The answer was hesitant, full of remorse. So unlike Brax. And yet, the way he avoided looking into her eyes reminded her of the Doctor so much. That was what he did when he was regretting something. Brax bit his lips, looking shaken for a moment. He added in a quiet voice.

"There's no way out. And I'm telling the truth this time. We are going back in his time stream, being forced to relive his darkness hours. We can't stop it, only the Doctor can. He has to break out of it himself, regain control— in order to stop… this."

"And he's reliving it, isn't he? Theta Sigma. He still thinks he is a boy, and yet, he is being forced to live through his worst nightmares."

"I'm… I'm sorry."

River didn't reply. She just looked away. Braxiatel's lips quivered, as if he wanted to say something— but nothing came out. So he had no choice but to shut his mouth and look straight forward, into the ominous darkness that contained the Doctor's worst nightmares.

The scene changed…

And then came _Mars._

*…DW…*…DW…*…DW…*…DW…*…DW…*

_Mars._

'_There is nothing I can do.'_

_The Doctor got blown off his feet from the impact of the explosion. Burning remnants of the shuttle flew everywhere. His face was tightened in pain as he rolled on the ground. The planet was burning all around him. Destruction, death, loss. The whole event was a fixed event, and he was powerless against it. He couldn't save them. Not this time._

'_Just stand back and watch.'_

_Gasping and groaning, he struggled to get up. That's when a thought occurred to him—a thought born from despair and anger. In his mind, he saw Gallifrey burning. Gallifrey, stuck in a Time Lock. Gallifrey… gone forever. He gritted his teeth, and looked up. His eyes were alight with fury._

_Why did he have to _not _interfere? Why couldn't he save Rose's father? Why couldn't he save these people, the great pioneers on Mars, from being slaughtered by the Flood? Because it was banned? Because it was a decided fixed point in time? But by whom?_

_He had the power to do so! And no one—no one could stop him. There were no Time Lords to accuse him, to put him on a trial. There was no Valeyard. Not this time. No one could stop him. He felt a disorienting, distinct sense of power rushing through his veins, drumming frantically against his chest and ears. A whisper echoed in his head, beckoning him forward._

"_I'm not just a Time Lord, I'm the Last of the Time Lords. They'll never come back. Not now. I've got a Tardis. Same old life, last of the Time Lords. And they died and took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed, gone forever. The Time Lords kept their eye on everything. It's gone now. But they died, the Time Lords! All of them, they died. I'm the last of the Time Lords!"_

_With that, he bolted back to the base._

"_No, because someone told me just recently. They said I was going to die. They said he will knock four times, and I think I know what that means, and it doesn't mean right here, right now, because I don't hear anyone knocking, do you? Three knocks is all you're getting!"_

_He snarled and slammed on the controls, shooting electricity through the infected person. The Flood-infected human screamed and was flung backwards, but he felt no remorse—no guilt. All he felt was satisfaction. No one could stop him. Grinning maniacally, the Doctor glanced at Captain Brooke, who was watching him with scared, wide eyes. She objected in a shaky voice. _

"_But you said we die. For the future, for the human race!"_

"_Yes, because there are laws. There are Laws of Time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? Me! It's taken me all these years to realize the Laws of Time are mine, and they will obey me!"_

The eyes were flashing with madness, one that Amy had never seen. She shivered. Sure, she had seen her Raggedy man's fury. She had seen his sadness. She had seen despair. But no, this was… chilling, in the least. Pure, undisguised power and arrogance. The Time Lord Victorious was staring down at her, and she couldn't see the Doctor in those cold, brown, unstoppable eyes. His face cracked into a wide grin.

"_For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor, but I'm not. I'm the winner. That's who I am." _

He was the Time Lord Victorious.

**Next Chapter:**

**They awoke with a gasp, like drowning men. And what they found was wholly unexpected. Theta Sigma was glaring at them, undisguised fury and grief written on his features. A drop of tear trickled down his cheek, mingling with the sweat. A heavy silence hung between them. And at last, he opened his mouth.**

**And screamed.**

"**I **_**REFUSE**_** to remember!"**

"**Doctor…!"**

"**Where…" He choked back a sob, his eyes brimming brightly with unshed tears. He buried his face in his palms, his body shaking, breathing heavily. Finally, he continued in a broken voice. And it broke their hearts.**

"**Where were all of you during my darkest hours?"**

**Read & Review! :)**


	17. Gone With the Wind

**A/N: Oh, my heart. It's having a feels attack… :(**

**Chapter 17**

**Gone With the Wind**

"Is there nothing you can't do?" Captain Adelaide asked. The Doctor was expressionless as he shrugged, as if nothing had happened. But everyone could sense that his voice had a slightly different tone to it— a subtle hint of cold pride and a Time Lord arrogance that he didn't have before.

"Not any more," he said.

Adelaide seemed to be hesitating, as if she wanted to say something. But she didn't. Instead, she went inside, drawing her gun and closing the door. The Doctor turned away, his mouth set in a hard line as he started walking through the snow to the TARDIS. He had won. He had won against the Flood, the Time, and the Laws of the Time Lords. His heart was drumming in his ears, drumming beats of four, a cry of victory. His mouth was almost quirking up into a secretive smile.

But his triumph didn't last long.

Suddenly, he heard the shot and glanced back, just in time to see the energy blast light up the window. The Doctor turned back around and in his head, he watched the history record change her place of death from Mars to Earth. A few details had changed, too. The timelines had been twisted and altered by him, in a manner that no one should have done.

"_I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is wrong,"_ Adelaide's cold voice rang in his ears, abruptly pulling him back into reality. His heart sank and his eyes widened in horror as he realized how far he had gone. Gasping, he turned around wildly to see Ood Sigma looking at him.

"I've gone too far. Is this it? My death? Is it time?"

Crying out in despair, the Doctor collapsed onto his knees. The Ood vanished. He struggled to get back up and rushed into the TARDIS, his hands shaking visibly as he opened the door. The Cloister Bell started ringing.

"No!" He shouted in an agonized, panic-stricken voice, and hurriedly pulled a lever, dematerializing the TARDIS. No, he couldn't die. Not like this. Not after all he had done. No, please, _please!_

He frantically set the coordinates to the Time Vortex, running away from what he had done. Then his hand flew to his face as he slumped over the console, struggling to suppress a horrible sob rising in his chest… He had never felt as alone as this, not even after the Time War. A forlorn thought crossed his mind.

_If only someone was there to hold me back._

_If only anyone was here to hold me right now…!_

God, he missed his friends so much. His heart ached unbearably with grief, guilt and remorse as their faces flickered across his vision one by one. _Rose. Mickey. Jackie. Sarah Jane. Martha. Donna. Wilfred. Jack…_ A tear finally trickled down his cheek as he gasped, breaking down. He fell down onto his knees, and curled up into a ball. Gone. _Gone forever. Time Lords, Gallifrey, and Rose. And it's all my fault!_

He sobbed, and everything faded into the darkness.

Rory simply stood there in the dark. The murmurs of others didn't quite reach his ears. He felt eerily lost, and didn't notice until a moment after that his fist was clenched, the knuckles slowly turning white. He didn't… have_ never_ thought that the merry man-child that he and Amy had sort of 'adopted', the Raggedy Man in the Blue Box, his daughter's husband— the Doctor— would have gone through times like this.

Their Doctor had said that he was the king of okay; he always found a way out from the most horrible of situations, even escaping his fixed death on one occasion. He was the problem-solver, the protector of Earth; he was their ever-happy friend, smiling and pulling silly dances at their wedding. Rory had just assumed that he would always stay that way. That he would have always stayed that way. He felt a chill creep down his spine, probably from guilt.

Was this what he had been going through when he was alone? When he wasn't traveling and goofing around with him and Amy?

"_I'll always be running back to you two," _the Doctor had said to them once. Was this why? Because he needed them to keep him in line? Because he would break down if he didn't have them?

No. Rory shook his head, the fierce determination of the Last Centurion taking over. He won't let it stay this way. He won't run away. To hell with 'I'm always okay'; he was now going to watch the Doctor's memories, listen, and learn as much as he could about their alien friend's past. And he would do what he can do— anything. Whatever that might be!

Rory clenched his fists again with renewed anger. He watched intensely as the colors and sounds morphed into another piece of memory.

_Now then, you lot. Sarah, hold that down. Mickey, you hold that. Because you know why this Tardis always is always rattling about the place? Rose? That, there. It's designed to have six pilots, and I have to do it single handed. Martha, keep that level. But not any more. Jack, there you go. Steady that. Now we can fly this thing. No, Jackie. No, no. Not you. Don't touch anything. Just stand back. Like it's meant to be flown. We've got the Torchwood Rift looped around the Tardis by Mister Smith, and we're going to fly Planet Earth back home. Right then. Off we go!_

They saw his grin, his joy. He had saved the entire universe from being destroyed by the Daleks; life and happiness had returned to his old, brown eyes as he started driving the TARDIS— the TARDIS that was meant to be flown by six pilots— just as it should be, with his friends helping him by the side. A perfect cooperation. For that tiny moment, everything was perfect. He didn't feel lonely anymore.

But the journey had to come to an end.

The light and the excitement in his eyes slowly died out as he dropped his friends off, one by one. Sarah Jane, Mickey, Jack, Martha— and finally, Rose. They had been reunited over universes, and he had never been happier in his life. But now he just had to stand back and watch, the unsaid words 'I love you' dying on his lips as he watched his duplicate and Rose kiss.

The only person he had ever truly loved after the War, and now he had to send her away with someone who looked exactly like him, but wasn't him. Not entirely, anyway. The loss, the jealousy— it was all painful, but what hurt the most was that he was hiding it. Hiding everything underneath a calm, unmoved mask. And,

"_Donna. Oh, Donna Noble. I am so sorry. But we had the best of times. The best. Goodbye."_

… taking all the memories away from a woman who could truly be his equal, his mate— what would he have been thinking as he gazed at her unconscious form in his arms?

After bidding Wilfred farewell, the Doctor stepped out of Donna's house. He looked up at the sky. It was gray, it was dreary, it was pouring. But he simply stood there, looking up at the night sky, as still as a dead man. A single tear traced down his cheek. _Alone. Again._ He let out a choking sound, closing his eyes.

"They've all got someone," he repeated in a hollow voice. He reached out and pushed open the TARDIS door. The door swung open, revealing the dimly-lit console room, and he slowly walked in, water dripping from his hair.

The Doctor wordlessly pulled a lever and pressed a few buttons, starting up the engine. The time machine groaned and began pumping the pistol up and down. The Lonely God watched, then collapsed onto a chair, his face buried in his palms.

They've all got someone.

_Of course, idiot. They are humans. They are bound to be. _

"But what am I?" He whispered, anger mounting in his chest. "A madman in a box, a passer-by? Always drifting around and running. No family, no home, no name… I don't even have my own kind left in the Universe, and it's all my fault. Why? Why did it have to be this way? Is it my reward? But it's so unfair!"

He slammed his fist onto the control panel, breathing heavily. It took him a few more seconds to regain his composure. Looking a bit too old and tired, the Doctor leaned on the wall and murmured to himself, in an absent-minded voice.

"_Lived too long…"_

"Oh, stop it, please!"

Donna shouted, turning around and covering her ears. She couldn't bear to look at those sad eyes, broken by the final loss. She was crying. Tears were flowing down her cheek as her heart felt as if it was being squeezed by some indescribable emotions. At that very moment, someone pulled her into a tight embrace. Eyes still glassy, she turned to see who it was; it was Jenny.

"Aunt Donna," she whispered. "Don't cry. Please don't. It's okay, it's all over. Please…"

Donna stared at her for a moment, then let out a long sigh and hugged her back. Cradling the blonde girl in her arms, she drew in a shaky breath and closed her eyes as the scene changed, again. This time, bits and pieces of memory flitted across their eyes, not lasting as long as it used to.

_He was voiceless, unable to move a muscle against the unknown creature of the planet Midnight. People—the humans that he had always loved and tried his best to protect at all times—were in panic, trying to throw him off the plane. A bitter taste of betrayal, despair and a distinct sense of terror mingled in his heart, and he struggled on the ground, helpless. _

_He was a desperate father, begging his daughter Jenny not to die. His wonderful, brilliant daughter was dying in his arms, shot by a bullet that had been aimed at him. She had saved him. And watching them, a silent tear trickled down Wilfred's cheek, because now he had seen why the Doctor had saved him at the radiation booth. He couldn't let his 'father' die. Not after Jenny._

_He was aboard the Valiant, being tortured. He hugged the corpse of Master, the only other last Time Lord left, as he wept in loss. He was watching Martha leave from the TARDIS. He was left alone. Again._

_He was a scared, human John Smith, holding a fob watch in hand. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to die. Always._

_He was a man alone on the TARDIS, having just lost a pink and yellow human that had been his salvation, his love. A tear rolled down from his left eye as he opened his mouth. "Rose Tyler. I…" And the hologram disappeared— leaving his heart shattered. _

_Lost. Sad. Lonely. Gone. Why?_

_He was a militaristic man with big ears, facing a chained Dalek in a cramped cell. _

_You destroyed us?_

I had no choice!

_And what of the Time Lords?_

Dead. They burnt with you. The End of the Last Great Time War. Everyone lost.

_And the coward survived. We are the same. You'd make a good Dalek. _

_No!_ He would never be like those monsters. _NEVER!_

_Angry, hurt, running away, lashing out. _

And finally, there came the Time War.

The man was tired. Tired and injured. Breathing harshly, he hid himself against a jagged rock. He had to take a break. His muscles ached everywhere, and he could barely move an inch— not after all these hopeless battles.

He took a swig of cool water from the carteen he was carrying, and wiped his own mouth with his ragged, dusty sleeve. Sighing, he looked up at the sky— a burnt orange color, he noted. The only thing left unchanged in Gallifrey as the war raged on endlessly.

The battle cries of the Daleks filled the air; everything was burning and falling around him. _Destruction is a sad thing, _the old man thought, and he reached out to close the eyes of a dead soldier. _So young…_ he shook his head, his teeth clenched, as dust and rock rained down upon him. _Death. So many deaths._

_Gallifrey is as good as gone now._

Suddenly, his Vortex Manipulator beeped loudly. An incoming call… he automatically punched the buttons and received it.

"Hello, Romana! Any news?"

"_Doctor! Are you all right?"_

He chuckled in a mock-cheerful tone.

"Oh, of course I'm all right. I'm always all right. If you can say that being surrounded by hundreds of Daleks, Axons, Sea Devils right under a huge rift in time and space—" The old man glanced up at the towering Medusa Cascade and continued. "—is okay. Well, I'm always good at surviving, so don't worry! This body might be a bit worn out, but it's still quite good for running…."

Trailing off, he smiled bitterly and thought to himself. _And don't call me the Doctor— I've abandoned that name a long, long time ago. _

Romana was silently listening to his rambling, tugging at her own robe. Then, hesitantly, she spoke up.

"Doctor… I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? About what? You aren't the one responsible for any of this. If anyone's responsible, then it's _me,_" the man spat out the last word, angrily gesturing out at the hellish landscape. Romana's hologram shook her head sadly. Letting her fingers fall to her side, she finally looked up and spoke in a heavy-hearted voice.

"Arkytior's name is on the List of the Fallen."

_No._

"…What?"

"Arkytior, your granddaughter, Susan Foreman… oh, I'm so sorry, Doctor. She's… gone."

_No. Oh, no, no, no, no. Not her. Please, just spare her._

—_It's all my fault._

His fingers slipped, and the Vortex Manipulator fell to the ground with a heavy _clank,_ putting an abrupt end to the call. He stared down at it, feeling numb. Susan. Oh, dear Susan. Why? Why did it have to be his dear, little, wonderful granddaughter?

A shuddering gasp tore out from his mouth as he wept, broken. _It's all because of them. _He gnashed his teeth, rocking back and forth. Pain. Grief. That was all he could register at the moment, but a new kind of emotion gradually started to stir within him. _The Daleks, they killed her!_

It was an uncontrollable surge of fury.

"You did it," he whispered, eyes hardening. He stood up to reveal himself to his enemies. His tearful eyes glared coldly at the Daleks as he stepped onto a huge boulder, facing down an army. He snarled. "You _killed_ her."

"The Doctor has been detected!" He could hear a Dalek announce, followed by the familiar battle cry. "Exterminate! _Exterminate!_"

"No, you will not," the old man spoke, his eyes flashing dangerously. He drew out a huge De-Mat Gun he had been given and loaded it. "Because I won't stand back and let you do so anymore. Daleks of Skaro, you have gone too far. But no more. On this day, my tolerance for your race has ended. Begone for all eternity, foul creatures; for I SAY NO MORE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

A Dalek screeched and fired. The shot missed by an inch, and the Doctor lunged forward, snarling like a wild beast. The Dalek screamed as he tore down its metallic shell with his bare hands in fury. As another Dalek tried to approach him, he blew it into pieces with a blast from his gun without any hesitation—without even glancing in that direction.

Still holding his weapon in one hand, he mercilessly ground the armourless Dalek underfoot, only stopping the cruel assault to hold it up and use the screaming mutant as a shield when the army opened fire.

When it ceased, he slowly brought his arm down and glared. The enemy fell silent for a moment, feeling the presence of the Oncoming Storm more than ever. They involuntarily backed away a few steps as he took a step forward.

_And so came the day when the Doctor got his name, 'Predator'._

Howling in anguish, he hauled himself at the army.

_The day when he closed the rift of Medusa Cascade single-handed._

_The day he faced off armies of Daleks, Sea Devils, and Auxons alone and survived and won._

_The day when he, in despair, decided that the Time War must come to an end— even if the cost was a total extinction of his own people. _

_The day he finally became a broken man._

Martha, Mickey, Wilfred, Donna, Sarah Jane, Amy, Rory, River, Braxiatel and Jenny were all watching with wide eyes and a broken heart as the Doctor they knew became a stranger; as he lost himself in all the grief and anguish and fell further than they had ever imagined. They watched in silence until they couldn't bear it any longer.

It happened right then, at that very moment.

*…*…*…*…*

"No more," the old man whispered. Chained up inside him, watching the horrors of his life—the Doctor's life—play out, Theta Sigma convulsed, his eyes rolling back into his skull. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something. _No._ No, no, no, no. He didn't want to remember these things. He didn't want to feel the loss, the pain, the agony and the remorse. Not anymore.

He didn't want to be the Doctor.

"No more," he croaked through his parched mouth. He jerked slightly, his head rolling to the side. He seemed to be struggling against an invisible restraint. He stayed in that position for some unknown amount of time, his legs and arms splayed out in strange directions, until suddenly, his pupils refocused, and his head snapped back up. Theta's jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed with a brilliant flare of golden energy for a split second. He inhaled deeply, and then—

"_**NO MORE—!" **_

His scream tore through the darkness, and the world shattered.

*…*…*…*…*

They awoke with a gasp, like drowning men, abruptly pulled straight from the Doctor's mind into the real world. And what they found there, back in the TARDIS, was wholly unexpected, too.

Theta Sigma was glaring at them, undisguised fury and grief written on his featured. His face was flushed bright red, and his hair was all ruffled. A drop of tear trickled down his cheek and mingled with the sweat. Breathing heavily, he lowered his head. A heavy silence hung between them. They didn't know what to say.

How much did he remember? How could they console somebody in a situation like this?

After a few uncomfortable seconds, it was Sarah Jane who moved first. She stepped toward the trembling form of the de-aged Doctor, reaching out to console him.

"Doctor…" She started. Theta's head snapped up. His eyes were bloodshot and tearful.

"Don't touch me!" He snarled, lashing out. "Don't you dare!"

Startled, Sarah Jane took a step back. Theta immediately dropped his glare, and seemed to be struggling with himself, desperately trying not to cry. Silence fell. The console room was absolutely quiet, save Theta's labored breathing. The TARDIS light blinked a few times and dimmed. The Chameleon Arch fell heavily to the floor.

_It was so scary,_ Theta thought, crying silently. Reliving that hell without any way of escaping, unable to understand or accept— it scared him so much. But what hurt him the most— what made him shudder with bitterness— weren't the deaths, the goodbyes. It was the fact that he had been truly and utterly alone at his darkest times. Theta Sigma finally opened his mouth, and continued in a broken voice.

"Where were all of you during my darkest hours?"

"Doctor…" Amy started forward hesitantly, but Theta's jaw tightened as he shook his head and took a step back in refusal. A storm was brewing within his eyes.

"Answer me!" He snapped. "Don't 'Doctor' me, because I'll have none of it. Where were you?! I thought we were friends…... that you really, really cared for me. For the Doctor. Were they all lies? Who am I to you? Just an outsider… 'a madman in a box' that comes sauntering in and saves your planet for you? Or—"

His voice quivered as angry tears slipped down his cheek. "Or did I not let you in? Did I distance myself and refuse to hold your hand? Am I that kind of man?"

Heartbroken, they didn't know what to say— so they wordlessly kept their place. The room was silent again, save the occasional sobbing that escaped from the young boy's mouth. It was then when Irving Braxiatel moved forward, crouched down, and cupped Theta's cheek in his hand with a surprising gentleness. At that moment, Jack realized for the first time that this egocentric Time Lord might have a certain amount of affection, and, perhaps, concern for his younger brother.

Caressing his younger brother's teary face, he called out the Doctor's childhood name ever so softly.

"Thete."

"…"

"Thete, please. I'm sorry. Just… look at me."

A pause. And then, finally, Theta Sigma, the Doctor, looked up, staring straight into his older brother's eyes. What they saw, though, were downright appalling. Even Braxiatel's eyes widened at the unexpected sight.

Those two, big brown eyes were brimming with such intense hatred.

"You knew," he said in an accusing voice. A burning voice. "You knew this could happen, you sick _bastard._ And you didn't do anything about it."

**A/N: I'm busy, so this chapter was a bit unfinished… I'm sorry. And Braxiatel didn't intend this to happen, not this time, just in case you think otherwise! Theta is just a bit too angry at what had happened :( Ow… Read and Review! **

**It will become humourous soon enough:) Next chapter involves a drunk Brax, flirting Jack and River's comforting cuddling for Theta! **


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